“Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County,” published:  Dallas;
  Walsworth Publishing Company, 1892.

HENRY K. BROTHERTON,  a retired farmer living near Wheatland, has 
been identified with the interests of Dallas county, Texas, since 1850.  He is 
a native of Ohio, born in Franklin county, September 12, 1824, a son of 
Robert and Mary (Kooken) Brotherton, natives of Pennsylvania, the father 
born in Erie county and of Scotch-Irish descent.  His maternal grandfather, 
James Kooken, came from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania.  Robert 
Brotherton and his wife went to Ohio at an early day and settled in Franklin 
county.  In 1812, at the time Columbus was laid out, they moved to that city, 
where they spent the residue of their lives.  They were the parents of seven 
children, six of whom, three sons and three daughters, lived to maturity.  The 
subject of our sketch was the oldest son and second-born, and when he was 
about eleven years old his father died, the mother surviving him several 
years.  During his youth he was employed as clerk in his uncle’s general 
merchandise store at Groveport, near Columbus, and was thus occupied up 
to the time of his coming to Texas.  The maintenance of his mother and her 
family devolved largely on him.

Mr. Brotherton was married in the fall of 1849, to Miss Rachel Melvina 
Minor, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Irving Minor.  Her father moved 
from New England to Ohio at an early period and was there a prominent 
physician and pioneer.  In the fall of 1850 Mr. Brotherton and his wife, in 
company with James H. Swindells and wife, started with horse teams for 
Texas, then the frontier of civilization, the journey consuming several weeks 
and the party arriving here just before Christmas.  He first located on what is 
known as the Tommy Churchfield farm, buying 640 acres of land and 
subsequently 320 acres more.  After living there three years he sold out and 
bought the Daniels place, consisting of two sections of land, and lived on it 
two years.  Selling out again, he purchased his present farm which at that 
time had very few improvements on it.  His estate at one time consisted of 
1,200 acres in his home place besides various other tracts of land.  He has, 
however, divided his holdings among his children, retaining for himself 400 
acres of highly improved land.

In 1869 Mr. Brotherton had the misfortune to lose his wife, who died, 
leaving him with six children, whose names are as follows:  Charles R.;  
Mollie, wife of E. Wilmot, of Dallas county;  Robert Minor;  Ellen, wife of 
Samuel J. Shultz, who lives near Seymour, Baylor county, Texas;  Lucy, 
wife of Dr. G.V. Hale, Grayson county, Texas, and L.S. of this county.

Mr. Brotherton is eminently a self-made man.  In connection with his 
farming pursuits, he has been interested in the Kilburn mill for several years.  
He has also been somewhat of a trader.  At one time he purchased a store 
and stock of goods at Lancaster, selling out a few weeks later.  In 1863 and 
1864 he was a member of the Board of County Commissioners.

Submitted by: L. Pingel