“ Brooks was a man of decided opinions, a liberal in both religion and politics, and had the courage of his convictions His ideas were advanced, for his time, with regard to the training of his daughters for lives of usefulness and independence, and the cultivation of a habit of independent thought on matters of vital interest. Mrs. Brooks, a devoted mother, was very domestic in her taste, caring well for her household, and, although an invalid, actively alive in alleviating the wants of those less fortunate in life than herself. ”

“ Willard, against paying taxes upon property that she had acquired by her own exertions, when she had no representation at the polls, while a miserable drunkard in the neighborhood, who was supported by his wife and daughters, and who owned no property, was allowed to vote in opposition to what both she and the wife and daughters of the drunkard believed to be for the best interests of the community. ”