John Grace Brooks
Before the roads were improved, the area was commonly known as “Mudsock”, then through the efforts of Joseph Tope and Cornelius Bracken, the Tope’s Mill became the center of “Petersburg”. Locals also knew the area as “Irish Hill”. One of the founding families of this area was the Brooks family. Henry Brooks Sr. died at sea on his journey from Ireland, which is referenced in my upcoming sequel, “Gilded!”. There were four sons who arrived safely in America, one of whom was named Thomas (1805-1867) who married Mary Grace and had six sons; one of the older being John Grace Brooks (1835-1905).
John Grace Brooks is pictured above as a young man who had enlisted as a private to fight in the Civil War with Company B, 15th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His enlistment date was April 18, 1861 and he was honorably discharged on August 30, 1861.
John Grace Brooks bequeathed from his family at the passing of his mother in 1874 , 162 acres of farmland lying south of the Petersburg Palermo Road (currently Autumn Road) along Scio Road (currently State Route 332). This land is known today as “Algonquin”. And, this weekend, (October 9-11), the annual Algonquin Festival will entertain thousands of fall festival seekers. John Grace Brooks also acquired 78 acres towards the west, along Autumn Road, which was known then as “Hammon Place” and ran toward McGuire’s Creek. At the height of his farming success, John Grace Brook’s land was valued at $8,325 with his livestock adding an additional $925 to his overall wealth.
I have it on local authority that the John Grace Brooks homestead still exits today, on the corner of State Route 332 and Autumn Road; sitting high on the hill and overlooking the Algonquin Valley below.
John Grace Brooks married Mary Ellen Moreland and from all accounts were the socialites of Union Township in their day. They had four children: Elizabeth - who married Robert Milton Moore and had one daughter, Jessie; Rebecca Jane - who is the subject of Gilded! by marrying John Hiram Beckley and having six children - Blanche, Laura, Mary, Ross, Sarah, and Ruth; Ada Belle who married John Kail, but died with her infant during childbirth at the age of 24 in 1889; Thomas William - whose nickname was “Possum” and married Maude McQueen and had five children - Harvey, John Raymond, Helen, Adeline, and Elizabeth; Gertrude, who lived a full life of fifty years with her family’s caring and assistance.
John Grace Brooks passed away on January 28, 1905, somewhat unexpectedly from numerous complications of diseases after a five-week confinement. His obituary alludes to him being a highly respected citizen of Union Township. His will provided for his wife to retain the family homestead until her death along with the 60-acre Hammond parcel, most of the personal property, a bob horse, two cows, ten sheep, a buggy, harness and $100 as long as she was responsible for paying half of the cost of their tombstone. Daughters Elizabeth and Rebecca had been allotted $1,000 each, and through early advances, the estate was only responsible for an additional $100 payment to Elizabeth. Daughter Gertrude was to receive the two-year old colt and the whole of her $1,000 bequeathment from her brother, Thomas, who was the administrator of the estate. Thomas was to receive all the remaining stock and implements and upon his mother’s passing, the balance of the Brooks’ estate.
To John Hiram Beckley, John Grace Brooks was more than a father-in-law. He was a mentor and someone the young Beckley could emulate as he progressed through his years as an up and coming local farmer.