The man who played a large role in the early history of the city of Dunkirk will be honored today.

On Oct. 30,1828, Horatio Gates Brooks was born in the old historic city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. At the age of 18, Brooks was employed by the Boston & Maine Railroad shops in Andover, Massachusetts. The Historical Society of Dunkirk maintains steam locomotive # 444 that was constructed at the American Locomotive Company – Brooks Works in Dunkirk in 1916 for the Boston & Maine Railroad.

In 1848, Brooks desired to extend his knowledge of locomotive maintenance to operations, becoming a locomotive fireman and by the age of 21 promoted to locomotive engineer. In November 1850, he left the Boston & Maine Railroad to accompany the movement of a steam locomotive from Boston to the new western terminus of the New York & Erie Railroad in Dunkirk. He briefly returned to New England to marry Julia Haggett and then remained in Dunkirk as an engineer for the New York & Erie Railroad until 1856. Brooks accepted the position of master mechanic of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad for the next four years, returning to Dunkirk in 1860. Two years later he was made superintendent of the Western Division of Erie Railroad at Dunkirk, then soon advanced to superintendent of Motive Power and Machinery for the entire Erie Railroad.

In 1869, the Erie Railroad was changing and determined to close the Dunkirk shops. Brooks regarded the Dunkirk community as his home and entered in negotiations with the Erie Railroad management to lease the railroad shops at Dunkirk to construct new steam locomotives. On Nov. 13, the former Erie Railroad shops at Dunkirk became known as the Brooks Locomotive Works, producing one new steam locomotive per month. Believing in this community and its growth, Brooks saw the facility turning out 100 locomotives per year by 1880. It was in this year that Brooks was elected the first mayor of the newly-incorporated city of Dunkirk.

Locomotive building attained 200 per year by 1882 and 250 by 1885. Brooks kept an intimate contact with employees and their families and was involved with many civic affairs. Sadly, Brooks died on April 20, 1887. His wife Julia continued a close relationship with the Dunkirk community and the Brooks Locomotive Works. She died in Buffalo in 1896.

The two surviving children, daughters Mrs. Fredrick Stevens and Mrs. Alfred Solano, offered the family home and annex on the corner of Sixth Street and Central Avenue as the first public hospital and library in memory of their parents, Horatio and Julia Brooks, on May 9, 1898.

It is with great pride that the Historical Society of Dunkirk honors Horatio Gates Brooks’ birthday this 30th day of October 2016, a great man in the history of Dunkirk. This day is celebrated with an “Open House” from 2 to 4 p.m. at the ALCO-Brooks Railroad Display at the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds. The event includes the unveiling of the Fletcher Granite monument recognizing the Fletcher Granite Company of West Chelmsford, Massachusetts that preserved and donated steam locomotive #444 to the Historical Society of Dunkirk in 1986. The granite from their quarry in West Chelmsford was shipped here, inscribed and placed by Ken Haas of A. D. Titus & Co. Monuments of Fredonia.

Special historical displays can be found in the newly restored box car, D&H 22722. Originally constructed in 1907 and rebuilt in 1922 for the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, the outside wood has been completely replaced with thermally modified wood from EcoVantage of St. Joe, Indiana and installed by R. N. Construction of Cassadaga.

The box car was restored with funds raised at the Dunkirk Railroad History Day held at the Fairgrounds on May 15, 2016. The project also received support in grants from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, Walmart and the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club.