THE J.N. BROOKS MEMOIRS
James Norman Brooks was born January 7, 1838 to Asa Brooks (1798-1855) and Betsy Pierce (1803-1891)
He married Abigail Munson-Sale (1848-1873) on October 12, 1869
He and Abigail had one daughter -- Ella May Brooks
Married 2nd -- Maria Lonsdale October 19, 1875
Died May 17, 1922
While this work is much too long to record all his writings, I
have chosen parts that tell us of his life and principles that
would be useful to anyone researching this family line. The
original book is in the possession of Carol S. Pullen-Reynolds
(August 2000). When you see "...",
that indicates a portion has been skipped. Comments I've added
appear in the color maroon and the photos
were not part of the Memoirs. The following is quoted from
this work:
PREFACE
On or about January, 1920, on account of failing health and age, the idea occurred to me that I should, while I had the strength, write some memoirs of my life and record those events that had most impressed me, and leave them to my children.
I had only commenced writing when my health became so poor that I was not only confined to my bed for two months, but at times had but small hopes of my recovery. However, as soon as I began to improve, I became very anxious to complete the work I had commenced as I could not rely on my strength lasting. I planned to write each day all that my strength would permit. I was often so weak, that I could not complete what I had to write. This will explain why some of the narratives in these memoirs are not as well connected as they otherwise would have been.
In reading over what I have written I notice I have allowed myself to dwell too much on the darker side of life. I did not realize that I had given so much space to the sad side of life, until I read the record over today. I regret this, for my life has not been all a sad one by any means. However, I now can see why I was led to dwell so much on the shadow side of life. I had but partially recovered from my sickness, and when I tried to look back to my boyhood days again, when I romped and played with my children, and those dear girls and boys kissed me and said "I love you papa", and when I tried to be a boy again, down on my hands and knees, playing that I was their horse, that they were learning to ride.
And now my children, when I was trying to make a record of those happy days, I am sorry that I allowed my age and changed condition to cast a shadow over them. Yet you will understand this, when you consider that none of my children are with me, only my dear wife and I alone. I intended to strike the chord that sang of loving days, of cheer and children, but I fear I allowed the changed conditions, in part caused by the absence of my children, to cast at times a shadow, where there should have been sunshine.
Our twelve years of life in Laporte were (with but very few exceptions) joyous years, years of cheer and hope. We had many dear good friends there. I recall that many times on the anniversaries of our birthdays, (and at other times) they surprised us -- not only filling the house, but had the City Band in the yard to assist in their greetings.
In giving this little book to you, I trust that it may not only assist to prolong the memory of your father, but that you may find in it many things that will give you hope and trust, and in the great battles of life you may find here some words of hope and cheer; some words that will recall pleasant recollections; some records that may assist to make you strong, noble and just. Should anything I have written assist you in the journey of life, to cheer you, I shall be richly paid, and far more than all -- should any words of mine assist in giving you a more confiding trust in that One, who is the Father of us all, I shall feel that my labor in writing this has not been in vain.
JAMES N. BROOKS
Rushville, Nebraska April 29th 1920
I was born in Broom County, NY, January 7, 1838,
of poor but respectable parents. I was the 4th son of seven boys.
My parents were of English ancestry. Have not the date they came
from England to America, but it was well back to the first
settlement of New England.
My mother's people were also of English ancestry, settling first
in Massachusetts. Her people, as I said, were English, with one
exception - her great-grandmother Sharkley was of French ancestry
from Canada. I have often heard her relate the feuds during the
Revolutionary War, between the members of the family in Canada
and those in Massachusetts. My mother was born June 23, 1803,
came from Massachusetts with her parents to Broome county, New
York about 1809. My father's family came about the same time.
Although I was 17 years of age when my father died, I don't ever remember him when he was a well man. He contracted asthma in early middle life, which preyed on him, undermining his health, and was the real cause of his death when only 57 years old. He died near Binghamton, New York.
Very soon after his death my two older brothers, Edgar and Nathaniel, Edgar 8 years and Nathaniel 6 years older than I, came with other parties to Indiana, to engage in the manufacture and sale of mill machinery, leaving me with my mother and two younger brothers at our little home in New York. About this time I had the first real touch of the responsibility of life, and it has been an ever present factor in all these years to the present time. When but 7 years old I had seen death come and lay his icy hands on a brother, 5 years younger than I. ... As this was my first impression of Death, so was I brought to realize the great responsibility of life, when I was at 17 left with my mother, in a way, to be head of the family.
And I soon found that if one fully does his duty, and shrinks from no just responsibility, and life a man dares to do right, and in a just cause even dares to die, to defend the weak; if he attempts to do all this, he will often find the burden heavy, and sometimes be laughed at, because the side of the strong is the popular side. ...
I have spoken of many loving deeds of woman, but these acts of love and deeds of mercy were in a field, so to say, for which she alone was most fitted. My children, I wish to state here that I fear there is a growing desire on the part of many women to leave this field for which God has so wonderfully fitted them, and strive to exchange it for the conditions more especially adapted for man. As a principle woman suffrage is right, because it is just. This far I have always believed woman had the right to help make the laws they were to obey. But they have heretofore occupied a field near exclusively their own. If man had learned to love the first gentle voice of the flowers of spring, it was because the one he loved had first told him of the songs they sang. She had heard them sing in notes as soft as from the silken chords of a lute. If he loved his home above all things else, it was because she had beautified it in so many ways he could not have done. He loves them because her hands have arranged them. In the year, in the flower garden, and by a hundred little things arranged with such care, he has learned to love every room in their home. If he is sick or nervous from overwork or disappointment in business, she can as no one else can do, bathe the throbbing head, encourage him with loving words, until his anxious cares are forgotten in the atmosphere of his home. A good man loves his home above all else; would even give his life to protect it. For this home the Christ tells us "man will forsake father and mother." The home as God intended it is the foundation of the state, and the stepping stone to all good governments. But I fear it will cease to be all that a home was intended to be, if the one God intended to preside over it, seeks (in part as least) to exchange her position in the home to contend with man for the sterner things of life, for which man was intended. I have written this my children because women are cultivating a disposition to leave the work God had given them and the field where she near ruled supreme, for the work God had more particularly intended for man. ...
In the fall of 1860 I bought a place of 47 acres, five miles east from Michigan City, on the then plank road from Michigan City to South Bend. It was good land with a fair dwelling house and barn. I was not at home much of the time (except during colder portions of the winters) during the four years we made that our home. I was selling water wheels and other mill machinery and putting them in mills. ...
We lived in this home I have before mentioned east of Michigan City until the early fall of 1864, when we moved to Michigan City. The three and one half years I lived there, were rather pleasant years. While there I united with the Methodist church and for the first time in my life, I was surrounded by many good people and could choose real good society. I had many close friends there and was often invited into the homes of the best families, and passed many pleasant hours with both young and older people.
At this time I had a great desire for a home entirely my own, had many plans for the house and yard, but I did not form while there any close attachment to any one I really desired to be partner with in this life.
About May 1st 1868 we moved to LaPorte, Indiana.
During the following year, I tried and worked as best I could to
lay up some money. I went in society very little, giving near all
my time to my business.
During the winter of 1868 and 1869 I met for the
first time Abbie Sale. We met many times during this time, at
Church and socials and we were early impressed that we desired to
be partners in one home and on October 12th, 1869, we were
married and the same day took the train for Cleveland, Ohio, on
our wedding tour. Her half brother Stewart was head of the
medical department of the Northern Ohio insane asylum. He met us
at Cleveland and took us to his home there, where we spent
several pleasant days. From there we went to Binghamton, New York
and spent three or four days with my uncle, Dr. Brooks, then 80
years of age. He made our stay very pleasant. From there we went
to Boston, Mass. We spent a very pleasant three days there at one
of the best hotels. We had a large well furnished room on the
first floor, with every convenience one could ask and sometimes a
guide to show us around the city, and what surprised us most was
our bill was rather less than any other hotel. We went over the
city very much, to top of Bunker Hill monument and all historical
places. Returned home by way of Canada railroad, going up the
Hudson River into Canada. The Hudson River affords one of the
most beautiful views in the United States. We stopped off a day
at Hamilton, Canada, arriving home about Nov. 12th, going to
housekeeping at once.
Abbie had told me before our marriage that for a long time she
had been afflicted with catarrh. She over done and besides
contracted a cold on this trip, and for some time after our
return, her catarrh was very bad. Was under the doctor's care
much during this winter, but with the return of warm weather was
much better.
Our dear baby Ella was born December 29, 1871. We loved it so much. Abbie knew no one ever had such a fine little girl. We had many pleasant hours playing with her and talking it over how much smarter and better looking than any other baby ever was. The whole world looked good and cheerful to use at the time.
We were both workers in Church and Sunday School,
trying as best we could to be of use in the world.
About the 1st of October, 1872, we went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa;
she staying near there with some friends, while I was seeing to
some sales of machinery other of there. When we took cars for
home, it having been very warm, there was no fire in our car. It
turned very cold, long before we reached Chicago, as long as
Abbie was able, about twice a week, to consult Dr. N.S. Davis. He
at that time was considered at the head of the medical profession
in Chicago. He from the first held out but little hopes of her
recovery; but we hoped against hope; did all we could to restore
her to health again, but One, whose call all must obey, had
claimed her. From then until July 1st were to us, painful months.
... She
died July 1st 1873. She is buried at the cemetery at Door
Village, and a very good Italian marble record is over the grave
where she rests.
Abbie came of a good family. Will state here what record I have. Anthony Sale came from England, settled in Essex county, Virginia, in early colonial days. His son John served under Washington, after Braddock's defeat; was given crown grant of 640 acres of land near Amherst Court House, Virginia, for meritorious services in this campaign. This land is still in the family, a descendant named Campbell owning it. John Sale also served one year in the Revolution. This John Sale had eleven children one of whom was John, a pioneer Methodist preacher. He moved to Ohio in 1803, near Xenia, where his nine children were born. The second son, Thomas W. Sale, was born March 27, 1807 near Xenia, Ohio. Emigrated to LaPorte County about 1830, died September 3rd 1890. The family coat of arms was a shield with the word "Forward". I will add that Abbie was the youngest of T.W. Sale's family. ...
Near two years had passed, when I for the first time met Maria
Lonsdale at her sister's home, Mrs. Emma Frasier. ...
I was impressed with her
unaffected kindness and homelike care. Her unaffected manner
pleased me then and has been a part of my very life for 45 years
since. ... We were married on October 19, 1875. During all these
years our home has been a pleasant home to me, and besides there
has been added to our home five children. Mary, Emma, George,
Charles and Louis.
... I at this time had a
machine shop and foundry and was from home quite a portion of the
time, making sales of mill machinery, and I recall so many times,
when I was traveling with a team, I have traveled near half the
night to reach that home I had learned to love. I recall that the
first years of our married life were rather prosperous years, in
a business way; but there came years of financial trouble, a time
when all was lost. During these trying hours, my dear wife had no
word of complaint, but with a brave heart she worked as a loving
companion with me.
... The Lonsdales came from an old and honorable English family. Thomas Lonsdale was born in England in the year 1758, and married to Elizabeth Butterworth in the year 1793. She was born July 23rd 1769 being the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Butterworth. Their son George Lonsdale was born July 10th, 1803. He came from England to the United States, when 15 years of age and settled in Pennsylvania. Was for a short time in business in Philadelphia. From there he came in 1835 to Martin County, Indiana, and bought of the government the farm he owned at his death, April 28, 1861. This farm has only changed hands once since he bought it. He was married to Elizabeth Osborn (daughter of Adam Miller) October 10, 1849. Their children were Emma Lonsdale born July 27, 1850, Maria J. Lonsdale, born April 11th, 1852, Walter Lonsdale, born September 9, 1856. Near 40 years since I visited Martin county, Indiana where George Lonsdale lived for 26 years. Talked with many of his old neighbors. They all spoke, not only as his being one of the leading citizens of the county, but a man of great worth to the people in the neighborhood where he resided.
I have been speaking of our married life and our home. I will now return to our business life. I continued during the next few years to manufacture turbine water wheels, saw mill and flouring mill machinery. We were at this time manufacturing what is termed the Burr system. That is the wheat was ground with French mill stones. However, about this time, there was a radical change in the manner of manufacturing flour. In place of mill stones, the wheat was ground, or rather rolled, by heavy polished steel rollers. This was called "The Roller System," and would require a large outlay for me to change to the new style. In fact, much more than I could command, and as there was a large demand for portable steam engines, with the advice of a number of my friends, I made patterns for a number of sizes, both portable, and stationary engines. I expended in making these patterns about three thousand dollars. We did not get the patterns made in time to make many portable engines the first year. All the portable engines were used for running threshing machines. We also made an engine to burn straw, in place of wood or coal. They were without exception universally liked. ...
The second year proved a very poor one for us. One thing to our disadvantage was a large manufacturing concern in New York state. ...
With difficulty I ran my shop for over two years more, when I failed, as 95 per cent of men in like business have done. I will not speak of any of the particulars in connection with my failure, but suffice it to say, if one party claiming to be a friend had not tried to ruin my business, I would have come out OK in the end. The iron lathes and tools, patterns and other machinery, that had cost me many thousand dollars, I realized but very little for it all.
But I had some very dear friends. A young lawyer by the name of Charles Truesdale was a very close friend. He was one of the very leading lawyers in the county, and as honest as he was good. He helped me very much. I had some good notes, which I gave him in trust, to collect and pay, especially the men that had worked for me, and other matters I considered most sacred. He done all and refused to make any charge for it. This with other matters I collected, I managed to pay off a large portion of my indebtedness. I paid all I could, reserving nothing for myself.
When all this was done that I could do, Mr. Truesdale made a proposition to me -- If I could get a good sawmill, that he would furnish me the money to buy some timber land in his name, and in addition he would furnish money to pay for the sawmill, and advance funds if necessary for my expenses, while setting the mill up. ...
During the following four years we bought a number of tracts of timber land, sawing all that would make good lumber, then selling the land, often I think, for full as much as we paid before we cut the timber off.
The first year we continued to reside in LaPorte. ... I built a house at the mill and moved there, where we remained for near three years. We named the house "The Sawdust House" because when we had ceiled it up, outside and in, we filled the space between with sawdust to make it warm. This was not an isolated place. There being about twenty families within a few miles of the mill.
The next three years were some of the most pleasant in our lives. We had just passed through the terrible strain of our financial trouble. ... Our children were all with us, except our dear baby Louis, who was born some over two years after we moved there. I had a large and interesting Sunday School class at a very roomy school house two and one half miles away. There was a most beautiful woods just adjoining our house. A number of young people often came to spend an evening. Besides we were fairly prosperous, not withstanding we had just left our rather fine home in LaPorte for this saw dust house. We never were more happy than at this place, and I know we all look back to the years at this saw dust house as the most pleasant of our lives. ...
When we had sawed all the timber on the land we had bought, and there was no more to be had in this locality, we sold the mill, and in June 1891 moved to Carrol, Iowa, where I had contracted to superintend a new plant both a foundry and machine shop. I was assured, before I would accept the job, that there was enough work in sight to last a year, and I believe the men were sincere; but it proved they were not in the least posted in the business.
... We decided, after looking all matters over, that it was best to move to Sheridan county, which we did about November 1st, 1892.
... After securing a place to store the best of our furniture, I repaired an old granary, Mr. Oldham had kindly given us the use of, where we with a portion of our furniture spent the winter.
ELLA MAY BROOKS and
JAMES FRANCIS OLDHAM
Married July 1, 1880
Their children were James Edward Oldham & Virginia Lucille Oldham (my grandmother).
All I could find to do to earn a little money, was to cut some stove wood on government land and haul to Pine Ridge Indian Agency.
... Maria and I never gave up, but there were better times in store for us. Notwithstanding we had hard times, they were not bad years, for in the main they were years of hope and trust. ... While here I recall many pleasant seasons. One was this: It was often dark when I returned from Rushville after disposing of my load of vegetables or wood. When I got within about a mile of the house I could always see the light in the window of the sod house kitchen, where I knew my dear wife had a warm supper and a kind welcome for me. I recall that as I saw the light I stood up in the wagon, that I might not loose sight of the light. When I got to the kitchen door my family were all there to meet me: my wife, Mary, Emma, George, Charley and Louis. Other men may return home in all the style luxury can give, and the flattery that phrase of men can bestow. Let them have them, I envy them not, but those home comings after a long tiresome day (without dining) were some of the dearest meetings of my life.
It was during our stay at the Talbot house that brother Lorin died. He had been quite poorly for a number of years with heart trouble, and died at his home in Rushville January 28, 1896. He was just closing up his term as Judge of this county. His trouble had been much worse for the last few days and had just called Dr. Wilson, and while talking to him fell into the Doctor's arms and expired in a few moments. He had been a dear brother to me. His great desire was always to do right, and I believe but few ever came nearer doing it.
... I applied for the position of Post Master at Rushville, and moved there in January 1897. I received my appointment there in the following May; but did not take charge of the office until the close of the quarter, July 1st. ... I held this office twelve and one half years, and resigned in the middle of the last term, to move on a homestead I had on the Extension. This extension was made by President Cleveland, he set a strip off from Nebraska where it joins the reservation, 5 miles wide north and south by 10 miles east and west. President Roosevelt by proclamation returned it to Nebraska and opened it for homesteaders. I made no effort to take a homestead for some two years after it was opened for filing, for the Post Office was paying nearly double what it was when I took the office, and I desired to take advantage of the better salary. But in October, 1908, Mr. Westover offered to relinquish me one half section he had homesteaded, for two thousand dollars. I accepted his offer and paid him the price and moved on it in the spring of 1909. ...
Charley and Louis were both married while we lived at the homestead. Charley to Ethel Albright July 29, 1910 and came next day to live with us at the homestead. About 18 months later he purchased Nines store at White Clay, living here some fifteen months, when he sold the store to Ed Hagel, and returned to the homestead and was with us near fifteen months, when they moved to their new store at Dewing, where they not (April 18, 1920) are.
... Louis was married to Mabel Johnson, October 5, 1911, in South Dakota and went at once to Denver to live. Mabel and he thought it best to live there as they understood it to be a good location for young people with energy and a will to succeed. They surely had both, but at that time business was near at a stand still in Denver. They rented a good house and went to house keeping, but there were five or six applicants for every job. We learned that Louis and Mabel were making a losing fight for a living, and Mama and I went to Denver to see them. We found them in hard luck, scarcely no work to be had. The desperate fight that Louis was making -- too proud to let us know how bad it was -- left a lasting impression on me. A boy that could make such a fight as he was doing was no ordinary person. ... We were with them two weeks and did as best we could to help and cheer them, and about January 1st they came to Chadron and Charley took our team and went to meet them. He returned with them the second day, I think by far the coldest day of that winter. Louis froze his feet badly, but they covered Mabel with so many blankets she might be troubled to breathe, but could not freeze. I know there never was a more happy home coming than we enjoyed for the next few days, which helped to repay us for the many sad hours of the past. I know that where loved ones have sorrow in common, and have suffered in one common cause, that it serves to intensify their joy when the cause of their sorrow is removed.
... It was during our stay on our homestead that dear brother Edgar died, July 11th, 1913, at his home in LaPorte, Indiana. When Maria and I were at LaPorte two years ago, we visited the Pine Lake Cemetery, where brother Edgar and Augusta were buried. They were resting here as they had walked in life, side by side.
I have already spoken of our homestead on the Extension. My health became so poor that I could not farm it, and in February 1916 we had a sale and rented the farm to Sam and Mary Dewing and moved to Rushville, locating first with Harvey Davis, our son-in-law, to assist him with the children, for our dear daughter Emma, their mother, was dead.
During the following summer I bought a lot on Loofboro street and built a house where we moved the following September, where we continue to reside. Our house is less than a block from George and Maud's home. Maud finds time to call on us very often, this is a great comfort to us.
In September we sold our farm.
We felt that was best for the reason that the rent did not afford
us enough to support us.