Los Angeles County
Biographies
THOMAS BROOKS
Tomas
Brooks, a veteran of the water works service of Los Angeles,
was born in Grass Valley, Nevada
County, California,
March 1, 1862, a son of Thomas and Ann (Ashton) Brooks. The paternal grandfather was an Englishman
who became game-keeper for King George.
At the age of thirteen years Thomas Brooks, Sr., left home and in the
quest of adventure sailed for America. For a time he lived in St. Louis, where he was married. As a pioneer of 1858 he came to California, joining the prospectors for gold in Grass Valley, Nevada
County. A master of several trades, he
readily secured employment and was indentified with industrial operations for a
number of years. In 1868 he removed to Los Angeles
County for the purpose of
raising sheep.
Thomas
Brooks, Jr., completed his school work at the old high school on the hill in Los Angeles. He was attracted to the education field but
did not finish his course, due to the fact that he was obliged to obtain work
and had he continued his studies six months longer would have received a
teacher’s certificate. He was first
employed in the office of Fred Eaton, engineer for the water company, and in
1883 accepted a situation with the corporation which was the predecessor of the
Los Angeles Water, Power & Light Company.
This organization he also served, becoming assistant to William
Mulholland in 1887, and has held the same position through several changes in
leadership. When the business was taken
over by the city of Los Angeles,
the services of Mr. Brooks were naturally retained and he was placed in charge
of the distribution system of the organization, which was won for him more than
local prominence, with the remarkable record of half century of faithful,
continuous service, without loss of one day.
Mr. Brooks
was twice married. His first wife, who
died in 1921, was the mother of a son and a daughter: Fred, now a foreman in
the plant of which his father was charge; and Laura L. Delaney, a school
teacher. For his second wife Mr. Brooks
chose Caroline E. Tew. Mr. Brooks
devotes his leisure hours to study and to gardening. He belongs to the American Society of Civil
Engineers, and in politics maintains an independent attitude, voting as his
judgment dictates. He is esteemed for
his breadth of mind, his fidelity to trust and the admirable qualities to which
he owes his progress and success in life.
Transcribed
By: Michele Y. Larsen on October 3, 2012.
Source: California
of the South Vol. V,
by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 289-290,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles,
Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 Michele
Y. Larsen.
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