|
a.
|
Note: Dewitt Taylor Brooks, Sr. was born on June 29, 1895 in a rough-and-tumble area of Virginia geography that ultimately would be known as Newport News. This east coast seaport town was actually built on farmland that only a quarter-century before had been an encampment for thousands of Union soldiers.
This harbor city was basically created because Collis P. Huntington, a western railroad builder, wanted to extend his company's rail tracks from the mid-west into Richmond, Virginia and then on to an port outlet on the Atlantic coast. Huntington's first train huff-puffed and steamed into the area of Newport News on May 1,1881. The "Civil War" had been over less than two decades. Southern Reconstruction was fully underway.Local governments were beginning to take responsibility for their governing. Schools were making great organizational progress following periods of total absence of education.
Colis Huntington's economic development vision now included a drydock to build ships to carry cargo to Europe. He was one of many Virginia visioneries who contributed to the prosperity of our Commonwealth. The "Shipyard" was first incorporated as the Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Co. in January 1886. My Dad was just a one-year old baby when that event happened. The city's dynamic population growth soared to 4,500. Also during the 1880's, a Mrs. Joseph Herbert opened the first summer boarding house in Buckroe Beach. This was perhaps the beginning of many coastal vacation spots along the Atlantic seaboard.
By the turn of the century, Buckroe,VA was a full-fledged Atlantic Coast amusement and resort center. Special trains ran from Richmond bringing couples to enjoy the romantic environs of this city, it entertainment and dance floor Pavaillion and the soothing sounds of bands playing and coastal waves stroking the shores of the beach. Bathers and family parties were attracted to the sandy beach as well as the large Ferris Wheel ride.. My mother and father were dating in this location and during this time period. Historically, Hampton was incorporated as a town in 1887, eight years before my Dad, DeWitt Sr. was born. According to some of the records I have, Dad was living with his brothers: Ransell, James Welfred and Charles and his sisters: Ethel May, Verna and Marguerite on 25th Street in a fast-developing urban area.
In January,1896, the Virginia General Assembly formally declared Newport News a city. Population was around 10,000. Grover Cleveland was U.S. President. Banks, stores, office buildings, warehouses, horse stables, row houses and boarding houses were under construction. The famous and beautiful Warwick Hotel opened in 1893. In 1896, the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. employed 6,336 workers. Average pay at the "Yard" was $2.00 per day. The C&O Steamship Co. carried trade and new immigrant passengers between Newport News, London and Liverpool, England like the ferries between Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA. Average life expectancy along the east coast averaged about 45 years. Only eight percent of homes in the country had a telephone.And the average speed limit in most cities was 10 miles per hour.
In March 1898, the Kearsarge and Kentucky battleships were launched and then commissioned in 1900. Residents in this seafaring town were distraught by the loss of the British liner The Titanic on April 14, 1912. My Dad was 17 years old when a German submarine sank the Lusitania three years later off the Irish coast on May 7, 1915. The U.S. began to prepare for a war in Europe. The 1910 Census Data recorded his employment as "office boy" in the shipyard at age 15.This probably meant that my dad did not have a full highschool or college education.
Ashleigh's great-grandfather served in the National Army until December 1918 in the 155th Depot Brigade. His induction physical exam revealed he had all this teeth and was "not flat foot". It also recorded his weight as 110 lbs. and his vision was 20/20 and that "he can hear in both ears." WW I ended in November 1918 and DeWitt received an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Sergeant. His civilian address was listed as 1237 25th Street in Newport News, VA. where he lived with his brothers.
My parents moved from one address to another - from one rented home to one several blocks away. This was standard in the mid 20's. I 've often wondered if it had anything to do with dad's ability to pay the rent!
Mom used to tell me my father had his own grocery business with horses and a buggy and delivered groceries to families in Newport News. Sometime later I learned that my Dad went to work for the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
Mom and Dad loved to travel too. At many of our beach vacations my Dad always wore his straw hat while walking along the surf, and had a thin necktie pulled tightly around his neck. He always like to dress well, in fact many called him a "dandy."
I renenber one summer vacation (probably 1936 - 37) we drove to Canada to see the Diane Quintuplets in Ottawa. These five precious little girls became "tourist freaks" as the Canadian goverment and their doctors recognized an insatiable demand for the curiousity seekers and charged an admission fee to see the little kids as they played.
I guess we were one of the courious! The Dionne Quintuplets were five Canadian girls, C�cile, Yvonne, Annette, �milie, and Marie born in Callander, Ontario, in 1934, to Oliva and Elzire Dionne. They had six other children. Wow! 11 --- kids around the kitchen table. The successful, though premature, multiple birth of identical quintuplets was a unique news event at that time. Their birth-survival made medical history!! I was there! I was actually a part of this historic biololigical and genealocial event. From the moment of birth, the girls attracted worldwide attention, a circumstance that ruled their lives until adulthood. �milie died during a seizure of epilepsy in 1954. Yvonne entered a convent. The three others married and had some offspring. Marie died in 1970.
My Dad also had one of the first "wire recorders" to record sounds and voices. Today we use video tape recorders to capture similar events of importance (and some of relatively little importance.) He had the only camera in the family so Dad and Mom were always invited to weddings and family holildays to take pictures. Many of Dad's "toys" were lost when their home caught fire and burned in Staunton, VA.This was about 1948 - '49. I had just returned to the United States after completing my military service in the Army and was in school at U. Va when the disastrous fire occured. Fortunately, they were not burned, just scared out of their wits. Some of their antique furniture had to be repaired from the charing that occured during that Staunton fire.
Dad also drove a A&P Company car - a Plymouth as I recall ! He had a large territory and often stayed out of town traveling to his stores. We lived in Charlottesville at 706 Nelson Drive during this time. He had his car serviced every Saturday at the local Esso station so it was ready to go Monday morning. All A&P Supervisors had to turn 'em in for new cars every 200,000 miles.
I remember grand family vacations in Burrels Bay where Mr.Thedieck taught me how to swim. Vacations with Aunt Lemmie - Dad's sister - were always fun. We visited Niagara Falls and stayed in Tourist Homes. These were like the B & B's of today.We even went up into Canada several other times. We drove all the way to Miami for another vacation. And this was quite a trip in those days.
Mom and Dad visited us in Massachusetts when we lived in Marblehead. We really looked forward to their trips as Dad visited every grocery store on the east coast and purchased items we couldn't afford.
Dad suffered a fatal heart attack while on the job in Fredericksburg in August 1956. Mom and Dad were living in Bon Aire near Richmond when he died.
|
