Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-29
Oldest and One of the Last Of the
Civil War Executives of the
United States
DIED FROM EXTREME OLD AGE
Hnd Been slightly III Week. Failed
Rapidly for Three Days and Passed
Peacefully tvay-Skctrh Of
His Rcmnr!ta!Ic Life Of
Nincty-Six Years.

! Rrattlohcro. April oe.-The Hon.
. Frederick Holhrook, former gov. rnor
! of Vermont. and the oldest ex-Eovcr-
nor in the United States. died this aft
| crnoon at $40 o'clock at his home
walnut street, after an Illness of three
days. He was o6 years old and one OF
tn" last of the Civil War executives.
| The ord came peacefully and quietly,
the governor lapsing into unconscious-
moss few moments before passing
away About his bedside were group
ed tho members OF his family who
| live IN Brattleboro and DR.. II. I. Law
ton. head physician at the Brattleboro
retreat. who has attended him during
his illness.
Early in March the aged governor
was taken suddenly i'll hut he rallied
from the attack and for the past
month had been taking his daily drives
: about Brattlehoro and his electrical
! treatments at the Brattleboro retreat.
\ week ago he was again taken III
but compared with his earlier i'll
/ ness the attack seemed slight The
/ past three days he had been failing
/ rapidly and to-day he grew steadily
worse. Death was due to extreme old
age. His son, Fred Holbrook of Bos-
ton, will reach Brattleboro Tonight
and the funeral arrangements will he
made tomorrow.
| Frederick Iolbrool, the Youngest Of 10
children was II descendant of one OF
the oldest families IN New England. MS
| first ancestor in this country coming
| from England to Boston. His father.
| rCln hn,.
Mass. and at the age of q came to
| .tewfane. Vt. where he secured employ
ment as land surveyor. Soon after
ward he opened small country store
and after accommodating considerab
property he came to Brattleboro. opening
n store in this place and afterwards
| running a line Of fiat bottom boats down
the Connecticut river to Hartford. Conn.,
building up a large business by the sX-
change of produce
! In 1909 John Iiolbrook sold his Brattle-
boro holdings and removed to Ware
/ hc use Point. Conn. whore FREDERICK
| Holhrook. afterwards Governor Of Yer
mont, was horn February 15 1873 He
received his early education in the Brat
tleboro schools and al the age OF 1G he
was sent to the "Berkshire Gymnasium
[ In Pittsncld Mass. Soon after his rn.
turn from school he was elected can
tain OF tho F1oodwood militia company.
an awkward company of local young
men and he bore the title of Captain"
urtil he became Governor
When IN his 18th year. he went 10 Bos-
ton where he became Interested in the
book store OF Richardson Lord & Hol-
brook. and remained TWO years He be-
came member OF the Handel AMI
Haydn society and of Lowell Mason :
church choir Upon his return to Brat
tlehoro he was appointed choir leader of
the Central congregational Church
which position he held for % years HI.
>onuAued TO take an active interest In
church affairs until his last illness.
SCIENTIFIC FARMER
At the age Of n he married Harriet
Goodhue. daughter OF col Joseph Good
hue. They settled in Brattleboro and
three or four years later the death of
his father led Frederick iolbrook 10
take up farming, During some months
spent in Great Britain when he was ~
Years old he carefully observed farm
methods in that country He read wide
|
the scientific side. and soon came TO have
reputation as a scientific farmer. some
thing unusual in those days. He wrote
extensively for the AGRICULTURAL press
and his writings were given wide pub
i'clty these being the first things which
! brought him into public prominence
In lS49 Governor Holbrook was elected
member of the Vermont State Senate.
| and he held that Office for two years
AT the session of lSi9 joint committee
was appointed to inquire into the OK
pedrncy of recommending an establish
rcent of a national bureau Of aericul-
ture. and Governor Holbrook drew I'D
| set of resolutions addressed to the Pres.
ident and Congress. stating in detail the
| seasons for establishing such a bureau.
II was followed by definite recomnen-
dalton In President Taylors annual mes
| sage to Congress for that year for the
| formation of such a bureau. and un-
doubtedly was the primary move which
| led to the establishment Of the tepart-
ment of agriculture as it exists to-day.
| He was president of the Vermont State
| Agricultural society from it's orgAniza-
| tion in 1850 up to the time of his cleo
tion as Governor, and this gave him u
wide personal acquaintance
At the republican mass convention In
| Montpelier in 1861. the call for which en-
| hraced "all who are In favor of support
ing the constitution and the Union, and
Of sustaining the federal government in
| its efforts to suppress rebellion and put
| down treason Frederick Holbrook was
| nominated to head the State ticket and
| was elected by an overwhelming major.
ity the following September. His frs,
| fiicial act was to suggest to the State
| Legislature the policy of paying off one
half of the State war expenses by direct
taxation. and funding the other
| half in State bonds to be paid by thoss
of another generation, and laws were
enacted in conformity with this sugges-
| ton.
THE ADVISER OF LINCOLN.
After his election Coyar,or