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PAST AND PRESENT OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND SANGAMON COUNTY ILLINOIS
By Joseph Wallace, M. A.
of the Springfield Bar
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, IL
1904



Transcribed by Mary Ann Kaylor

Page 1325

CHARLES G. BRODRICK -The name of Charles G. Brodrick finds a place on the record of business activity in Springfield in connection with building interests and he is now well known as a contractor. He was born in Cape May county, New Jersey, March 24, 1852, and is a son of Thomas Brodrick, also a native of New Jersey and descended from German ancestry which, however, was established in America at a remote day. In order to provide a living for himself and family he carried on agricultural pursuits. He married Marie Goff of New Jersey and both are now deceased. In their family were eleven children, of whom eight of living, and Charles G. is the eighth in order of birth. Those who still survive are: Elizabeth Hewett, Thomas, James, Harriet Gandy, Charles G., Ada Hess, Mary Springer and Frank.

Charles Brodrick spent his boyhood days in the state of his nativity and is indebted to the common schools for the educational privileges he enjoyed. In his youth he assisted his father in the work of the farm and continued to engage in agricultural labor until twenty-two years of age, when he turned his attention to carpentering. He mastered that trade, becoming an excellent workman and in recent years he has engaged in contracting and building, becoming a well known and successful representative of building interests. In March, 1876, he arrived in Springfield, where he has since followed his trade either as an employee or contractor and many excellent buildings of this city are evidences of his handiwork and skill. When he arrived here he had only ten dollars, and that he has prospered as the years have gone by is indicated by the fact that he now has town property amounting to more than six thousand dollars. In addition to this he also owns a farm in Morgan county of one hundred and thirty-five acres and at one time he sustained a loss through unfortunate investment of perhaps five thousand dollars.

In Virginia, Cass county, Illinois, in December, 1878, Mr. Brodrick was married to Miss Emma J. Howard, who was born in Sangamon county, a daughter of Francis M. Howard, who was born in Sangamon county, a daughter of Francis M. Howard, who was a native of Boston, Massachusetts, and a farmer by occupation. Her mother, Sarah Ann Connor, was born in New Jersey. Both are now living in Morgan county, Illinois, and the father has retired from business life. In their family were six children, of whom two died in infancy and the oldest brother, George F. Howard, passed away in 1899, at the age of forty years. Those still living are Florentine H., Bert Otis and Mrs. Brodrick. The last name was educated in Ashland, Cass county, Illinois, and left school when about seventeen years of age. She afterward engaged in teaching for several terms in Ashland, Newmanville and other places in that portion of the state, and she also gave private instructions in music. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brodrick have been born four children: Jesse E., born October 16, 1879; Earl Arthur, February 4, 1885; Emma Edith, March 11, 1891; and Charles Stewart, August 20, 1897. The eldest son wedded Esther Cooper and is now engaged in carpentering in Elgin, Illinois.

Mr. and Mrs. Brodrick hold membership in the Central Baptist church, of which he is a deacon and is also a teacher and worker in the Sunday school. Socially he is connected with the Knights of the Maccebees and both he and his wife are identified with the Independent Order of Good Templars. His political support in given to the Prohibition party and he has been a candidate on this ticket for the office of justice of the peace and coroner. Mr. Broderick owes his success in the business world to the fact that he has concentrated his energies along one line. He has never dissipated his business efforts over many field of activity, but has lent all his energies to the accomplishing of the one task which he undertook as a young man, and because of this he was won a fair degree of prosperity.



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