Struggling on a 320 acre farm for several years in Freestone County, Joseph G. and wife, Eliza P. Brooke decided that it would be to their advantage if they left that farm, take what they had, and go west.  This they did about 1879, taking with them three children, Lula P., Allie P. and Joseph R., also two freed slaves (man and wife), covered wagons and a string of horses.  Coming with them, or shortly after, were J. G.'s mother, Georgia A.; father, Ignatius R.; a maiden aunt, Amanda Green; and uncle, Franklin Green and his young family, Annie R., wife and children, Annie and Henry.

     Several weeks hence, they camped on Sand Creek, near Thrifty, in Brown County, and grazed their horses while searching for a place to start over.  They settled for a short time in the gap of the Santa Anna Mountains. Soon, their dreams began to surface when they bought 420 acres of land southwest of the Old Camp Colorado Fort with the Jim Ned Creek and the Hords Creek flowing right through the middle of it.  With lumber hauled from Fort Worth by ox wagons, they built their headquarters near the forks of these creeks.  Two more children were born, Annie and J. O. (Jim).

     Sometime after the death of J. G. in 1888, his wife, Eliza P., purchased a wagon yard and livery stable in Coleman.  Having done this gave her the opportunity to send her children to school in Coleman, while Joe R. stayed and maintained the farm.  Joe worked for the J. C. Dibrell Ranch nearby.  At one time, he made a cattle drive to Kansas City for Dibrell with pay of $15 a month, plus meals from the chuck wagon.  In 1909, he married Eva Henderson, a native of Bell County. (See C. M. Henderson, Jr.).  In 1911, Eliza P. died and the estate was divided among the five heirs.  Joe bought Allie's portion and remained on the farm, raising cattle and shipping them to Fort Worth, he was also a cattle buyer.  He also developed and certified the Double Dwarf Milo Maize and shipped seed far and wide.  His means of transportation was by buggy, wagon, horseback or on foot until the fall of 1923, when he bought a 1923 Ford Touring car.  He also built a new house in 1924.  Joe and Eva raised three boys, James B. (see J. B. Brooke), Joe C. (see Joe C. Brooke), and Coy (see Coy Brooke).  Eva died in 1950, Joe remained there, trying his best to survive the drought of the fifties, and finally selling his cattle in 1958, leasing the place out, but still living on the farm until about 1961, when he moved to Coleman.  He was able to ride a horse until he was 88 years old.  He was born February 12, 1879, died January 23, 1971.

     Of the other Brooke children, Allie married D. S. Tabor, Lula married M. E. Harvey, Annie married Walter Ransberger (see William Henry Ransberger), and Jim never married, but remained on the Brooke place until his death in 1926.