Representative Franklin Eli Brooks

Franklin Eli Brooks (November 19, 1860 – February 7, 1916) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado, serving two terms in Congress from 1903 to 1907. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, and he participated actively in the legislative process while representing the interests of his Colorado constituents.

Brooks was born in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, on November 19, 1860. He was educated in the public schools of the region and graduated from Southbridge High School in 1879. He then attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he pursued classical studies and graduated in 1883. After completing his undergraduate education, he taught school for several years, gaining early experience in public service and education before turning to the study of law.

Brooks pursued legal training at the law school of Boston University, which he attended in 1887 and 1888. He was admitted to the bar in 1888 and commenced the practice of law in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1891 he moved west to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he continued his legal practice. His relocation to Colorado marked the beginning of his long association with the state that he would later represent in Congress, and he quickly became involved in its legal and political life.

An active Republican, Brooks served as a delegate to the Republican State conventions in Colorado, including in 1900. His growing prominence within the party and his legal background helped pave the way for his election to national office. In 1902 he was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-eighth Congress and was subsequently reelected to the Fifty-ninth Congress, serving from March 4, 1903, to March 3, 1907. During these two terms as a Representative from Colorado, Franklin Eli Brooks contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation, representing the interests of his district and his state in the House of Representatives. He chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1906 to the Sixtieth Congress.

After leaving Congress, Brooks resumed the practice of law in Colorado Springs but increasingly devoted himself to land development. He served as president of the Costilla Estates Development Company, reflecting his involvement in the economic growth and settlement of the region. In 1907 he again took part in party affairs as chairman of the Republican State convention, underscoring his continued influence in Colorado politics even after his congressional service.

Brooks also played a significant role in educational and agricultural governance in Colorado and beyond. In 1907 he was appointed a member of the State board of agriculture and became a trustee of the State agricultural college at Fort Collins, Colorado (later Colorado State University), contributing to the oversight and development of higher education and agricultural policy in the state. He later served as a trustee of his alma mater, Brown University, maintaining a lasting connection to the institution where he had been educated and supporting its governance and advancement.

Franklin Eli Brooks died on February 7, 1916, in St. Augustine, Florida. His remains were returned to Colorado and interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the city that had been the center of his professional, political, and civic life.