From the 1885 History of Steuben County, Indiana

page 775-776

George Brooks is one of the few early settlers living who date their coming to the county as early as 1837. He was born in Derbyshire, England, July 8, 1824. In 1830 his parents came to the United States and settled in Farmington, Ontario Co., N. Y., where they lived seven years, and then, in the fall of 1837, moved to Steuben County, Ind., and settled in York Township, on section 36. His parents were George and Elizabeth Brooks. This land was entered for Mr. Brooks by Clark Powers, in the spring of 1837. After it was improved he sold it to his eldest son, William, who still owns and occupies it, and bought a farm across the township line in Richland, on which is located the south part of the town of Metz, where he lived till his death, Oct. 6, 1853. His wife died twenty years later in Michigan. They had a family of nine children-- Ann, in Lagrange County; Martha, deceased; William, of York Township; George, Jr.; Thomas, of York Township; Henry died while in the service of his country during the Rebellion; Samuel, of Otsego Township; Robert, of Branch County, Mich.; Francis, also a soldier, died while in the army. George Brooks, our subject, came to Steuben County in the spring of 1837, with Clark Powers, with whom he lived a number of years. He walked the entire distance from New York to Steuben County, and assisted in driving a number of cows and young stock, being about ten weeks in making the journey. He worked by the month for Mr. Powers and others, and when twenty-one years old held the deed for eighty acres of land and owned a fine young horse, all the result of his own labors. When twenty-three years of age he married Jane Burk, daughter of Eli Burk, and settled on his land. After improving it he exchanged it for a farm on section 31, where he lived till 1868, when he bought the farm on section 24, Steuben Township, where he now lives, which contains 200 acres of valuable land. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks have had four children, three of whom are living-- Cornelia, widow of Adhill Lemmon; George, of Cherokee County, Kas., and Ernest, on the homestead. Andrew, their eldest son, died Nov. 7, 1884, aged thirty-three years.

Submitted by: Kim Davoli

E-mail: davoli82@juno.com