Farming began in the
area in 1831; during the next 25 years, several communities developed. No town was actually
platted until 1859, when Major Josiah Hunt, the land commissioner for
the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, had the present town of
Brookfield platted as a shipping point on the line. John Wood Brooks,
a civil engineer from Boston, surveyed the purposed town, and it was
named Brookfield in his honor. Many Irish came to the area to work on
the railroad’s construction. Finding Brookfield a pleasant settlement,
the men and their families remained when railroad construction was
completed. Within a short time, the ample labor supply and the town’s
central location induced the railroad to locate its division
headquarters, shops and roundhouse in the town.
The railroad
built a hotel and dining room. James Tooey, one of the first residents
of the town, established a general merchandise store. In 1860 a post
office was established in Brookfield and in the same year, the
Immaculate Conception Church was dedicated. Although several women of
the town had taught school in their homes previously, the first public
school was not opened until 1865.
During the Civil War, Union
forces occupied Linn County. After the war, Brookfield grew rapidly.
A fire protection unit was established in 1885, and an electric light
system was constructed in 1890. A water system was laid out after
bonding the city for $35,000.00. With the advent of sewer and gas
systems in 1910, Brookfield had a reliable and modern network of public
utilities.
In 1907, the Brown Shoe Company, St. Louis, built an
industrial facility in Brookfield. By this time, the Hannibal and St.
Joseph Railroad (later to become a part of the Burlington
Northern/Santa Fe System) had moved their headquarters to Hannibal; but
the introduction of small industries and farm trade had compensated for
the loss and provided new employment. By 1910, Brookfield boasted a
population of 5,749 persons compared to a population of 1,156 in 1886.
Two
other important businesses came to Brookfield with the opening of the
Woolworth store in 1923 and the J.C. Penny store in 1926. Both stores
provided additional employment opportunities and provided impetus to
additional construction in the central business district. Coal, found
in the area around Brookfield, brought many miners to the area; and the
coalmines were financially important until the late1930’s, when they
were closed.
In 1958, the Stanbury Company located in
Brookfield. This firm manufactures a large percentage of the school
band uniforms made in the United States. In 1973, the firm moved to a
central location in a new industrial park located just north of U.S. 36
on the west side of the City. L.T. York Company, manufacturer of
men’s hairdressing and pharmaceuticals, came to Brookfield in 1963, and
occupied the old Brown Shoe Company facilities. However, the
Brookfield community and Linn County suffered terribly during the
agricultural crisis that beset all of north Missouri during the
1980’s. To Brookfield lost over 500 jobs due to plant closures in
1981-1983 alone. It took the remainder of the decade to recoup these
job losses through a concerted effort put forth by the City, Brookfield
Industrial Development Authority, local businesses, organizations, and
citizens. It was truly a community effort.
In 1989 the
Walsworth Publishing Company, headquartered in Marceline Missouri,
expanded their operation to Brookfield. They remain the largest
employer in Brookfield and Linn County. During the late 1980’s new
manufacturing companies were also attracted to the community including
Apex Plastics, Brookfield Fabricating Corporation and Excelsior
Manufacturing Co.
With the advent of the new millennium, the
population of Brookfield stands at 4,769. Recent manufacturing
expansions along with other positive factors, including the partnership
with Marceline on the North Central Missouri Regional Airport and the
future completion of 4 lane Highway 36, imply that the town’s economic
and population positions are promising