The Republican journal., 1905-09-07
BROOKS VILLAGE
Forty Years Ago and at the Present Time
Told by an Old Resident

III our lluCle village Today nave any
idea OF the place of forty years ago.
10 show what we have gained and lost
within that time, we will present just
few statistics, Notwithstanding they
may be dry reading. In 1860 our popu-
lation was 9SS. In 1900 it was 80 a loss
of 25S, over 25 per cent. In 1860 our
valuation was S15S, 27S. In 1900 it was
S257,091, a gain of over 81 per cent.
The gain in valuation has occurred al
most entirely in the village district,
which contains nearly one third of the
inhabitants, and also of the valuation
of polls was 200. In 1900 the number
was 22l, a gain Of 10 per cent and a loss
in population of % per cent. Does this
and naturally bring up the question
are doing their whole duty to the coun-
try and to society.
But enough of statistics-let US look
at Brooks forty years ago and compare
it with the present village. Take first
the street which leads to Jackson. On
| the corner of the street in the village,
where the house of E. G. Roberts now
stands, was an old building, once hotel
and then consisting of dwelling, a store
| and a small public hall. The next house
above that was then occupied by Rufus
Roberts, now replaced by the residence
of w. H. H. Roberts. Next came the
Chase house; next above that was the
| schoolhouse, and then came the house
| of 3. w. Lane; no more buildings on
that side OF the street until you came
to the house now owned by James Jew
ell. Above this was the Friends church.
Like all the old time churches of the
Friends the inside OF this house was
divided SO that the men and women
never sat together. \ partition ran
through the center of the house, the
men occupying one side and the women
the other. On the other side of the
street, coming down, was the residence
of j. G. Rose. There was no other
building until you come to the resi-
dence of H. H. Pilley. \ one story
house stood on the lot where DOW
stands the fine residence of NJ j. Dow
Going down the street towards Monroe
we first had the residence of Wesley
Lane, a one story, old style house, now
the handsome residence of |. S. Staples,
the we'll known carriage builder. Next
came the house owned by E. ?. Dear
born, then the residence OF Dr.. Watson.
Next the house of entertainment kept
by Eliza and Orr Nesmith. This build
ing has been entirely remodeled and is
now the hotel kept by the popular
landlord, +. Il. York. The only other
building on that side of the street was
the residence of Shadrach Hall. On the
other side of the street, coming into the
village, was the residence of Mrs. Mar
garet Huxford, now the residence OF
Dolf h,,,l "a
small house opposite the lower mill,
Next came the residence of James q.
Morse, now occupied by W. O. Estes.
There was small one story house on
the corner occupied by Mrs. Mellen,
where now stands the finest building
in the village, the residence of Dr.. \.
E. Kilgore. Turning the corner to 60
across the bridge, first came the store
of Michael Chase, since destroyed by
fire. Next came the old saw mill with
the old style up and down saw, owned
and operated by Deacon Page of Bleed
ing Waldo remembrance. Across the
bridge was the residence of Loren Rose.
This was one of the old style houses
and has since been removed and a large
residence erected on the same lot. The
old house is now the residence of James
B. McTaggart and stands near the rail
road track above the station. Then
came the church, which has since been
moved and remodeled into a fine build
ing.
There were but two more houses on
that side OF the stream, the one owned
by w. C. Rowe and one opposite the
residence of Loren Rose, then occupied
by Mrs. Andrews, now the residence of
Isaac Leathers. Coming back across
the bridge we find ION the spot where
now stands the residence of Geo. H.
Miller al old style one story house &C.
cupied by Calvin Fogg. This house
was burned and the present building
erected. Then came the carriage shop
of Morse and Pulley, in the building
now the Brooks post office; next was
the building which was at that time
bought by the Masonic fraternity and
about u feet built on the front, the up
per story being occupied by them as
Masonic hall. Next to this, Oh the
corner, was the small shoe makers shop
of H. H. Pulley. This building was re-
moved and a store built by John H.
Gordon some thirty years ago.
On the street going towards Knox
there was first the house now owned
duu oCCuplcu ny L. w. DIOWu, III. NJ
more buildings on that side of the
street until you came to the house
built by Lebbeus Jones and now occu-
pied by Rev. E. E. Colburn. Beyond
this was the house now occupied by C.
A. Lane. No more houses on that side
of the street. On the other side of the
street, coming towards the village, was
the residence of Bennett Pulley, now
occupied by Wendell Reynolds. Next
came the residence of C. E. Peavey,
then that of DR.. Joel Collier, long
low house and which has since been re-
moved, and large fine house and stable
erected by the late DR.. A. w. Rich and
now the residence of c. e. Bowen.
Next came large two story residence,
then occupied by S. V. R. Huxford, now
the residence of E. G. Holbro0k.
Compare this with our village of to-
day and quite difference will be seen.
There have been erected within forty
years Y houses and business places
within radius of - mile Of the station
at the village. We have now water
system which supplies water to the vii
lage, an independent telephone line with
40 instruments, large and convenient
public hall, q modern and very fine
church, railroad and Geographic COM