Wayne County Biographies



Part of the Indiana Biographies Project



John Brooks, Jr.

John Brooks, Jr., second son of Matthew and Rhoda (Veal) Brooks, was born Feb. 11, 1836, in Wayne County, Ind. His parents were natives of North Carolina, the father born in 1808, of Welsh, and the mother in 1812, of English, descent. They came to Wayne County in 1831 and reared two sons — Asa S., living in Randolph County, Ind., and John. The father died in 1807, and the the mother resides with our subject. He was educated at the common schools, and followed farming in Wayne County till 1857, and in November of that year bought a farm for $2,600, where he farmed six years, when he sold it for $3,500. He then paid $7,000 for a farm on Whitewater River, where he followed farming and stock-dealing ten years, when he purchased a farm near Winchester (still retaining his home farm), paying for it $9,900, where he resided till 1880, when he bought the farm where he now resides in Wayne County, for which he paid $8,000. He still owns his two farms in Randolph and is one of the most successful farmers and stockdealers in Randolph and Wayne counties.





Dec. 12, 1855, he was married to Susan, daughter of William and Susan (Cornelius) Beall. They have had five children born to them — William M., and Milton F., of Randolph County; Luther S., at home; Arsula R., wife of Harvey H. Hiatt, of Randolph County, and an infant, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks belong to the United Brethren church. Mr. Beall, father of Mrs. Brooks, was born in Bourbon County, Ky., in 1802, and came to Wayne County, Ind., in 1816, where be was married in 1820 to Susan Cornelius. She was born in North Carolina, in 1795, and came to Wayne County at an early day. They reared six children — Curran, Hannah A., Brutus, Amanda, Marian (deceased) and Susan. Mr. Beall died in 1850 and his wife died in 1876.

Source:
History of Wayne County, Indiana. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co. 1884. Volume 2