- Capt. Charles T. Brooks -
By Danny McCarthy
This article ia from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle dated December 30, 1929 & deals with the Board of Supervisors updating positions of Democrats & Republicans.
Charles T. Brooks was born on June 20, 1864 in East Marion, and resided in East Marion. As an archives assistant, I was truly honored to have learned that Mr. Brooks was one of the founding members of the Greenport Club. In 2016, members of the Greenport Club gathered together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the organization! I was so pleased to obtain knowledge about the Greenport Club from its member, Patt Rudder.
The October 27, 1888 South Side Signal has it that “Capt. Charles T. Brooks has sold his interest in the smack O. M. Kingsland to Charles Lawrence, who will hereafter command her. Capt. Brooks, we understand, will command a larger vessel.”
The November 26, 1897 The Long Island Traveler included: “Capt. Charles T. Brooks, of the fishing smack Gertrude Summers, is at home for the winter. The trap fishermen, too, have about completed their season’s work, and our village is really putting on its winter aspect.”
The May 25, 1911 Sag Harbor Express “expressed {so to speak!”} that Capt. Charles T. Brooks, of Greenport, took a load of edible fish into Fulton Market, last Monday morning, taken off Cape Henry, which is said to be a record catch – 122,00, consisting of 120,000 pounds of weakfish and 2,000 of bluefish. At the price of fish then prevailing, the catch would amount to over $3,500.
And, Do You Know What? ~ Here’s Another Take on His Take-In!
Capt. Charles T. Brooks was also spotlighted in the May 26, 1911 The Suffolk County News with some of the same above coverage regarding his big catches: “Capt. Charles. T. Brooks, of Greenport, enjoys the distinction of being the captain of the vessel to bring into the Fulton Market the largest catch of fish ever known. His vessel, the Bertha and Pearl, arrived on Monday morning with more than 120,000 pounds of fresh weakfish, besides 2,000 bluefish, caught off Cape Henry. Fish dealers recognize this as the record catch of one vessel, and estimate the cargo to be worth considerably more than $3,500 at the prevalent price of fish.”
The February 13, 1925 The Long Island Traveler shared: “A Men’s Community Club has been organized in East Marion that promises much for the welfare of the village. One of the following officers that was elected for the year was Capt. Charles T, Brooks as President.
The October 18, 1929 The East Hampton Star featured a wide ad that began: “Suffolk County Deserves and Needs a Republican Board of Supervisors.” One of the “Republican Candidates for Supervisors in Suffolk County” was Capt. Charles T. Brooks for Southold Town.
The October 24, 1929 The Advance, Patchogue {stet} also carried this news: “The Republicans of Southold town have nominated Capt. Charles T. Brooks to oppose Supervisor John Hoffman, of Greenport, renominated by the Democrats. Town Clerk, Joseph Hallock, Republican, is renominated for both parties.”
“On the Road Again!” ~ “Happy Motoring!”
The Patchogue Advance {stet} that is dated February 28, 1930, was so informative. You see, Capt. Charles T. Brooks urged the board of supervisors that week to “give Orient Point a concrete highway at least one year sooner than was expected.”
Don’t Wait! ~ Just Don’t Bait! ~ Every Day of the Week!
The County Review dated March 12, 1931 captured quite the important standing of Capt. Charles T. Brooks as his letter was ready by Riverhead Town Board Supervisor Dennis G. Homan to the members of the Board of Supervisors. The Captain’s profound letter was mightily “strong and to the point!” It concerned the fact that the Captain was “advocating legislation to prohibit the catching of shrimps in the Peconic Bay to be used as bait.”
Capt. Charles T. Brooks took this stand since he felt “weakfishing in the bay will be ruined” unless that legislation doesn’t become enacted since “shrimp is the natural food for weakfish.”
Well, Pardon Me!
Homan was of a completely different opinion. He thought “that shrimp is caught at the head of navigation and near creeks.” He also thought “The weakfish is a deep water fish.” It seems that Riverhead Town Board Supervisor Homan also thought that it “would be a great injustice to the owners of the between 200 and 300 boats that {at that time were then} engaged in fishing in the Peconic Bay, to prohibit them for catching shrimp for bait.” He also felt that the fishing industry would not benefit.
The Captain added that he would return to the next Board of Supervisors monthly meeting and bring up the fact that “some legislation should be enacted to prohibit the taking of shrimp.”
“I Love to Cry At Weddings!”
The Long Island Traveler dated November 4, 1937, carried a Fifty Years Ago column that featured: “Capt. Charles T. Brooks of East Marion, and Miss Lydia W. Horton, of Southold, were married.”
Some Sort of Salute
The April 29, 1954 The Patchogue Advance read: “The Suffolk County Board of Supervisors Monday honored the late Captain Charles T. Brooks, East Marion resident and a former Southold town supervisor, by adopting a memorial resolution and adjourning in his memory at the close of the monthly meeting.”
The Fifty Years Ago column that was in the September 14, 1961 The Long Island Traveler – Mattituck Watchman included this item: “Fred Klipp of Greenport returned from a fishing trip with Capt. Charles T. Brooks of East Marion, who landed in the Fulton Market with over 10,000 bluefish.”
Thanks for the availability of the Suffolk Times Obituaries from 1900 to 2003 being taken care by Jeff Walden and staff of the Mattituck-Laurel Library and being online, I contacted the Mattituck-Laurel Library reference desk and obtained the obituary of Capt. Charles T. Brooks.
According to the obituary, “during Captain Brooks’ {one year} term of office as supervisor {a} Work Relief Program was instituted to provide employment during the depression and Suffolk County was the first county to put a work relief program into operation. {And} For 25 years{,} Captain Brooks was a smack fisherman sailing out of Fulton Market, N.Y., and was also engaged in the trap fishing business.”
In that obituary we are updated with the facts that the Captain “was identified with the Frank J. McMann real estate and insurance offices at Greenport” {for over 30 years. He also was one of the trustees of the Southold Savings Bank for 25 years, and was at a time was “the third oldest member of the board” of that bank.
This “deeply religious man” was senior deacon at the East Marion Baptist Church.” For over 60 years, Capt. Charles T. Brooks was a member of the Peconic Lodge F. & A. M., plus he was a member of other Lodges.
Charles T. Brooks died on April 7, 1954 and is buried in the East Marion Cemetery.
Here’s a findagrave website link:
When I went online to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle website and used keywords Supervisor Capt. Charles T. Brooks, I located 6,280 matches. Hm! Again we’re caught in a quandary. Again, only some matches are specifically relating to Supervisor Capt. Charles T. Brooks. Now I know I don’t have to do go ahead and share this, but here’s the Brooklyn Daily Eagle website link carrying those 6,280 matches {!}:
https://www.newspapers.com/search/#lnd=1&query=Supervisor+Charles+T.+Brooks&offset=23&t=1890 - Capt. Charles T. Brooks -