The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-04-29
FORMER GOVERNOR
HOLBROOK DEAD
At BRATTLtBORO
Was Oldest Living Chief Exc
cutive of United States
ONE OF THE WAR GOVERNORS
Advisor of Lincoln During Civil War
Was 90 Years Old at Time
of Death

Brattleboro. April 2S.-The Hon.
Frederick Holbrook, former governor
of Vermont, and the Oldest ex-goVer-
nor in the United States, died TINS
afternoon at $40 o'clock at his home
Walnut street, after an illness OF
three days. He was SO years old ana
one of the last of the Civil War exec
utives. The end came peacefully ana
quietly, the governor lapsing into un-
consciousness a few moments before
passing away About his bedside
were grouped the members of his
family who live in Brattleboro and DR.
H. |. Lawton, head physician at the
Brattleboro retreat, who has attended
him during his illness.
Early in March the aged governor
was taken suddenly i'll but he rallied
from the attack and for the past month
had been taking his daily drives about
Brattleboro and his electrical treat
ments at the Brattleboro retreat. A
week ago he was again taken i'll hut
as compared with his earlier illness
the attack seemed slight. The past
three days he had been failing rapidly
and today he grew steadily worse.
Death was due to extreme old age.
The funeral arrangements will be
made tomorrow. The service prob
ably will be of a simple character and
the ex-governors of Vermont will be
formally notified.
Frederick Holbrook was born in
Warehouse Point, Ct, Feb. 10, 1913.
His father was John Holbrook. He
received a sound English education in
the progress of which he devoted much
attention to mathematics. For two
years he was a diligent student at the
Berkshire gymnasium, Pittsfield, Mass
an institution then under the direction
of Prof Dewey and held by many to
be the best private school in the coun-
try at that time When 20 years OF
age he crossed the Atlantic TO obtain
the advantage of a European tour Re
turning home in 1888, he settled in
Brattleboro and confined his energies
mainly to agricultural pursuits. He
was married January 10, 1885 to Harri-
ct, daughter of Joseph and Sarah ed,
wards) Goodhue of Brattleboro They
had three children
The public official life of Mr.. Hol-
brook began in 1S47, when he was
elected register of probate for the dis
trict of Marlboro. In 1850 he was
chosen to the presidency of the Yer
mont state agricultural society of
which he was one of the founders. The
first address delivered before the as
ISOLATION was by him. Eight consec-
utive elections followed his first eev-
alton to that post In 1S49 and 1850
he was returned to the state Senate
as the representative of his fellow cit
liens in Windham county. While
member of the Senate and acting as
chairman OF special committee on
agriculture, he proposed and prepared
the usefulness and urging the estab-
lishment of national bureau of agri-
culture. The project received the in
dorsement and commentator of the
resident of the United States in his
message to Congress. 1t was no less
favorably received by the representa-
tives of the several states, and by
their action, approved by the chief
magistrate, the department of agricul-
ture soon passed from the domain Of
possibility to that of reality.
His essays and writings for the
agricultural press for several years
first attracted public attention to him.
His style of writing. the result of
careful training in the formation of
good composition, and clear, concise
statement, was said to be graceful
and forceful, and, later on, conspicu-
Gus in his state papers and official
correspondence.
Qualities SO useful and public SER
vice so beneficial naturally led to Mr..
Holbrook's elevation to the guberna-
torial chair of Vermont In 1861 he
was placed therein by a gratifying
vote. The choice as one of special
honor to the subject inasmuch as the
time was one of the darkest and most