The Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Representative Men of Chicago, Milwaukee and the World's Columbian Exposition

              BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY.
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Ing himself with the Farmers' and Millers' Bank, of which he became president in 1862. The bank was organized into a national bank a year later and Mr. Brodhead remained president until 1882^ Avhen the charter expired. He subsequently accepted the office of vice-president of a reorgan¬ ized First National Bank and remained Avith his former associates.
His whole business career Avas one of excep¬ tional success, marked by judicious care and singu¬ lar fidelity to principle and duty; without engaging in doubtful transactions, or questionable methods or oppression, and without striving for riches, he accumulated a fortune. He had a logical mind, keen perception and strong individuality.
While Mr. Brodhead was an extraordinary business man and devoted his life assiduously to business, his fine qualities as a man and as a citi¬ zen reflect the highest honor upon his name.
At the outbreak of the civil war Mr. Brodhead Avas a Democrat, but taking an active part in raising and sustaining the Union army, he became a Republican, and was ever after identified Avith that party. When Fort Sumter was fired on he Avas among the first that called a meeting of the people, and made some of the strongest and most enthusiastic speeches in favor of suppressing the rebellion, and declared his intention of standing by the Union Avith all he possessed. His ability and influence made him a leader in organizing and sustaining the Wisconsin troops. This was a field large enough for his organizing mind, and one, too, where the exigencies of war demanded the best energy and greatest activity. As president of the " war comimittee," he was one of its most energetic members, and did much to raise money and sustain the army. As a member of the sani¬ tary committee it would be impossible to over¬ estimate the value of his services in going to the battle-field and caring for the sick and wounded soldiers of Wisconsin, and in procuring an ex¬ change of prisoners. In recognition of his great services to Wisconsin soldiers, Mr. Brodhead was made a companion of the Loyal Legion, an honor conferred on but three other men by the Wiscon¬ sin Commandery. For public spirit and unselfish devotion to his own city, Mr. Brodhead's record will ever be a source of pride to his friends.
In 1871, under an act of the legislature, Mr. Brodhead   was   appointed  one   of  three   special
water commissioners for Mihvaukee, and it is said that he is probably entitled to more credit than any other man for the successful construction of the Mihvaukee waterworks, one of the best and most economically constructed Avater supply sys¬ tems in the United States. Unlike most men he devoted his time zealously and faithfully to the enterprise without compensation. As the city in- . creased in population and the scAverage began to pollute the Milwaukee river, the question of how to abate the nuisance became a grave one. In 1887 some of the citizens induced the legislature to pass an act authorizing a survey to be made for constructing intercepting sewers; the act specified that the money to be raised should only be spent for such a system.
Mr. Brodhead maintained that the work, as contemplated by the framers of the law, would cost the city from three million to six million dollars, beside the damages involved in its con¬ struction, and that a flushing tunnel could be built which would bring Avater from the lake to the river at a cost insignificant in comparison with that of the system proposed. The idea of having a flushing tunnel in Milwaukee Avas entirely orig¬ inal with him. There Avas a great deal of hostility to his plan, the most eminent civil engineers in the city thinking that when carried out they Avould not accomplish what he expected from them. In spite, however, of this opposition, he succeeded by the co-operation of a few of the city officials who agreed with him, and by his indomitable energy, in having the flushing tunnel constructed. But in order to get the necessary money a good deal of fine engineering had to be done, as there was no particular amount available for this work. The result fully justified the- sanguine expectations of Mr. Brodhead, as the tunnel Avas one of the greatest successes of its kind that the city ever had, and she is under great obligations to him for his persistence in ac¬ complishing the w^ork.
Mr. Brodhead Avas fond of field sports, particu¬ larly quail and duck shooting and deer hunting ; he was also an ardent admirer of fast horses and took great pleasure in driving. HcAvas a forcible speaker and spirited writer. Like all positive and aggressh^e men, Mr. Brodhead often conflicted Avith the ideas of other men, but as he generally succeeded  people   became   satisfied   that he was