Benjamin Franklin Brooks from Louisa County to Alexandria VA 1879 - 1954
My great grandfather Benjamin Franklin Brooks Sr. was born July, 1879 in Louisa County VA. We're not yet clear on who his biological parents were. My DNA does not match descendants of the couple who most family trees attribute to being his parents. We found Benjamin on an 1880 census report in Louisa County. He was listed along with his brother Auther, born 1880 and his sister Eliza, born 1875. Ben, Auther and Eliza carried the sir name Brooks. There were several other children in the household listed who carried the sir name "Winder". I was told the name was actually Washington. 2 older girls were listed on the census with the last name Washington. In 1928 when Ben was 49 yrs old he started a club for young black men in the city of Alexandria. One of the objectives being, "to push over the top anything our colored citizens wish to achieve..." (more to come in a later post on this fascinating club he started) As a career Benja...