I grew up in Brookford, Catawba Co, NC. Born and raised there. I left Brookford area in 1975 but I have the fondiest memories of my childhood there. I can still smell the hall way of Brookford Elementary School if I close my eyes and think about it. Looking back, it was the best days of my life.

Note**** Anyone from Brookford should get a copy of Dyke Little's book, "Brookford Memories" if at all possible. It really has a lot of memories for anyone that has a connection to Brookford.********

Brookford School- The building is used for a community building now.

Brookford School Students In about 1945. These are my parents. Tommy & Pearl Mays Truesdale. My Mother is the little one in the center of the photo. My Father is third from the Right.

Others in the Photo:
Coy Isenhour, Barry Settlemyre, Howard Weaver, Richard Laney, Chad Mitchell, Frankie Holtsclaw, Carol Warren, Joe Elders, Bart Milam, Betty Hewitt, Joyce Adams, Daphine Travis, Elsie Costner, Maxine Holtsclaw, Evelyn Helton, Louise Milam, Kay Lynn, Nelda Elrod, Ruth Melton, Mrs. Bolick, Jackie Thompson, Mrs. Steelman, Rosetta Brittan, Mary Hefner, Leoma Melton, and a few my Mom can't remember.


>Miss Ethel Stine. Third grade teacher at Brookford Elementary School.

Brookford School Safety.

Sadie Beal Truesdale This is my grandmother. If you look close you can see houses in the background. Those houses are still standing today. If you are traveling 127 South you will see these houses on the right after you pass Hillside Baptist Church.

Lloyd Ezzell "Ted" Truesdale. This is my grandfather. He is standing where Frank's Hosiery Mill is today. This would be the side of the building. The house in the background belonged to the Blackburns. I do not remember their names. It was on 22nd Ave Ct SE. (The reason I know is because we lived on that dead-end street)

Joe Reinhardt Story- Joe owned and operated Reinhardt & Son Grocery across from Brookford Elementary School. I probably saw Joe Reinhardt everyday of my life while living in Brookford.

Brookford Community 1983 before the new road came through - This photo is pointing Hwy 127 North. You can see to the right, the old Brookford Cotton mill, it later became Shuford Mills. The house sitting on the left behind the stop sign belonged to Mrs. Lola Reese Weaver. The area to the left where the cars are sitting was Stuart Elrod's gas station. The best penny candy and snow cones in town! Top left you can see Brookford Baptist Church.

Old Company Store- You can see Brookford Baptist Church in background.

Left - Fletch Hollar's Store and Right - Snow Storm in Brookford March 1960.

Clyde and Mary Lou Workman Sprouse and their children Larry and Brenda. Photo provided by Brenda Sprouse Suggs.


Robnar Hoyle Mays Social Security Application As you can see my Maternal Grandmother also worked for the A. D. Juilliard Co - Brookford Mills Division - Dec 15 1939.


Alice Ann Lail Kerley. Alice was the daughter of William Marvin Lail and Mary Jane Cox. Alice grew up in Brookford. Photo provided by Alice's granddaughter Lorie-Ann Baker. One of the songs that Alice wrote about Brookford:

Just a portion of it. (This song is © copyrighted so don't even try to steal her lyrics!)

Shack on Brookford Hill

I remember when I was a lil' youngn' in my North Carolina Home Paper was a nickle at the country store and a nickle for an icecream cone.
Walked to and fro to school each day, two miles across the hill while momma n daddy was a breakin' their backs in the brookford cotton mill.

another verse:

I remember when I got a little older, daddy rigged up a stil made white lignten with the runnin water in the woods at the bottom of the hill.

People went to liken what daddy was a makin' and he never once got caught The biggest bootlegger in Catawba County outsmarted the Brookford Law.



Sitting on the bumper left to right is my grandmother Sadie Beal Truesdale, my father, Tommy Truesdale, Edna Anderson and I don't know what child Edna is holding or anyone else in the photo. This photo was probably around 1936. Dad was born 1932 and he looks to be about 4 yrs old.

Alfred and Robnar Hoyle Mays. My maternal Grandparents.


Brookford Bulletin. Company Newspaper from Brookford Mill - January 1956.

Brookford Obituaries

Brookford Cemetery This cemetery is not located in Brookford. It is located on Mt Grove Church Rd, in Mt View.


Brookford Students Class of 1952-1953 by David Keck.
Brookford Students Class of 1952-1953 by David Keck.
Brookford Students Class of 1952-1953 by David Keck.
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These are newspaper articles pertaining to Brookford, NC.


Donald Fry & John Price had a fight. - 11/27/1903.

Cleveland Holler attempts to punch apple from tree. - 9/19/1905

Earl Ramsaur - Bookkeeper of Brookford Manufacturing dies.- 9/28/1906

Brookford Incorporated. - 2/19/1907

Mrs. Emma Sigmon Assaulted. - 8/9/1907

Long's Sanatorium Patients. - 5/28/1923

Flashes from the Council. - 1/24/1924

Perry Cline's Mother died. - 4/10/1924

Masters Guy & Wilford Stevenson visited Grandparents. - 9/24/1924

Former Chief Gets Road Sentence - 1/7/1926.

Three Teachers Arrested - 3/5/1926.

High Shoals Beats Brookford - 7/7/1926.

High Shoals Takes One From Brookford - 7/13/1926.

George Whitener Is Killed - 7/26/1926.

Captain James Lafayette Eaves - 12/31/1926.

Mrs. Essie Little's Sister died. - 5/20/1926

Population. - 7/1/1926

C. Russell Pope electrocuted. - 7/29/1926

Maiden Defeats The Brookford Team - 6/28/1927.

Boy probably fatally injured. Carl Elders - 8/8/1927

Drunken Driver Causes Death - 11/8/1927.

Eliza G Withers Funeral & Burial - 7/3/1928.

Myrtle Hartman Assaulted. - 2/14/1929

Quarrel Over Mule - Phil Teague & Andy Rosenbaum.

J. C. Abernathey's Store Destroyed By Fire - 11/11/1929.

New Road Construction - From Hickory to County Line - 6/19/1930.

G. C. Eller - 5/26/1933.

Increase In Wages Noted In Carolinas (Brookford Mills)- 6/2/1933.

Johnson Suttlemyer & W. P. Pitts - 7/11/1933.

Barkley Reunion - Mrs. Ralph Kendall of Brookford - 7/11/1933.

Statesville Loses Sunday Game to Brookford - 7/28/1933.

Miles Knox Huffman Obituary -2/3/1945.

Ray Rudisill - 6/17/1947.

Roy Wakefield - 4/19/1948.

David J Cook Obituary - 8/14/1949.

Thomas Minton Rosenbaum - 9/20/1949.

Troop 59 - 5/31/1950.

Held for Murder - Everette J Riley- 6/17/1950.

Parlier Reunion - 11/19/1950.

Textile Workers Return To Work - 5/9/1951.

Pupils of Brookford School - 2/25/1952.

Fannie Jeneel Huffman Obituary - 10/31/1952.

Revival - Rev. O. Walker - 3/28/1953.

Mr. & Mrs. Jack Stepp attend Birthday Party - 4/30/1954.

Berini, Baker Leave Seminole - 2/14/1955.

James Edward Weatherman - 4/12/1955.

Mill Executive Dies In Georgia - 8/3/1955.

Hickory Textile Plant To Close - 1/25/1956.

United Church Of Christ - 10/18/1957.

Rev. A. Wilson Cheek - 10/27/1965.

Brookford Deaths - Shuford Funeral Home records 1908 - 1957.


If anyone from Brookford ever comes across this site, please email me! Would love to hear from anyone that has connections to Brookford, Catawba Co, NC.

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