History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its cities, towns, resources, people

              BIOGRAPHY, 885
F.   D.   Brooks,   a  prominent   and  native  son   of  Winnebago
county, was born on his present farm in Oshkosh township, on Septem¬ ber 4, 1849. His father, Samuel, a native of Redfield, Oswego count};^. New York, came to AYinnebago county in 1842. After a sojourn of two years here he returned to Ohio and married Aliss Julia A. Alden. Returned to this county in 1845 and commenced hauling lumber by ox team from Green Bay, and built the first frame house erected on this side of AA^innebago lake. He followed the life of a farmer, was the first county surveyor and the second register of deeds in this coun¬ ty. AA^as postmaster for nearly forty years, holding the office the gTcatest number of years of any man in the United States.
Air. Brooks was a AATiig until the formation of the Republican party, and forever after was a member of this political party. He was a high-minded, public-spirited man and occupied a j)roiiiiiient place among the citizens of the community. He died January 24, 1887, and his wife, the mother of our subject, in the fall of 1890. The family consisted of four children: illdeii, the eldest, enlisted in Company B, Twenty-first AYisconsin Volunteer Infantiy, and died in the service of his country in Nashville, Tenn., December 21, 1862; Lucy, married Edward AA^illiams, who died in 1901; F. D., our subject, and A. G., a tinner by trade, with residence in Oshkosh,
In the boyhood days of F. D. there were no school houses regularly built for educational purposes, and his early education wavS therefore secured in the schools held at private homes and in barns around the country. He" was reared on the farm and received the usual ad¬ vantages of the farmer boy.
In. 1883 Mr. Brooks married Aliss Alary A, Forman, daughter of Benj ami 11 .and Rebecca (AA^ard) Forman, Her. parents, natives of Englai.d, came to the United States in an early day and lived for a time at AA^oodstock, 111., later coming to AA'^iniiebago county, where the father died in 1891, The mother is still, in 1908, living. Three childi'en have been born to Air. and Airs. Brooks, viz.: Julia, is a stenographer for the city attorney of Oshkosh; Elpha E. and Mar¬ garet, all of whom make their home with their parents.
Mr. Brooks was engaged successfully in general farming, dairying and stock raising for many years, until 1894, when he removed into the city of Oshkosh, where the family have since made their, home.
A Republican in political sentiment, Mr. Brooks has held numerous local oflfices. In 1895, and again in 1896, he was elected to the office of register of deeds for the county; was assessor for four years and chairman of the town board for four years.   Fraternally he is a mem-