Biography of Henry Brooker, Homestead, Dade County, FL

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Transcribed from:  The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. 
II, page 135, 1923.

BROOKER, HENRY.  In the building and development of the town of Homestead in Dade County 
the essential figure has been HENRY BROOKER, a man who came here something over ten years 
ago without capital and by hard work and enterprise has made a substantial fortune for 
himself and helped create many of the valuable interests in and around Homestead.

He is a native of De Soto County, Florida, but when a boy his parents removed to Polk County 
where he was reared and acquired his early education.  He went to work for himself when a 
youth, and was still in his teens when he started a small business enterprise at Jupiter, 
in what is now Palm Beach County, then Dade County.  This venture ended with a total loss.

After this temporary disaster in his affairs he came to Homestead in the southern part of 
Dade County in 1911.  He was entirely without capital, but his good character proved an 
asset in attaining credit, and in 1912 he opened a small general merchandise store.  In 
spite of a very humble beginning this business has grown and prospered and increased greatly 
every year, and now comprises a large department store carrying all lines of general 
merchandise including hardware and farm implements.  It is one of the most successful 
mercantile concerns in Southeast Florida and enjoys the highest standing in financial 
and commercial circles.  The business is incorporated and conducted under the name of 
the Homestead Mercantile Company of which Mr. BROOKER is the president.

Mr. BROOKER has greatly expanded his business buildings on Krome Street.  His original 
store building was erected in 1912.  In 1914 a thirty-five foot addition was built.  Then 
in 1922 was added a theatre and two more store buildings of thirty-foot frontage, a handsome 
moving picture house, thus giving Mr. BROOKER a business frontage of 160 feet on that 
thoroughfare.  All the buildings are two stories high, of substantial construction, and 
they contribute a great deal to the architectural character of the entire town.  Aside 
from this central business Mr. BROOKER has valuable and extensive farm interests in the 
vicinity, and has used his influence steadily to promote the most substantial growth of 
this prosperous section.  Mr. BROOKER is married and has three children named HENRY, Jr., 
CHARLES and RONALD.