Walter Lee “Gabe” Brooks
Gabe Brooks’ machine shop was acquired by the City of Scottsdale from Brooks’ daughter, Emmajeane Brooks Harris of Phoenix, at a cost of $5,000. The shop was moved from Earll Drive in downtown Scottsdale to the park in December, 1973. Brooks built the 20-foot by 20-foot shop circa 1930 on Powderhorn Ranch, the land he homesteaded in 1917 that is northeast of what was then unincorporated Scottsdale. He later moved the shop into the downtown area, first to Scottsdale and Thomas Road, then to 7125 E. Earll in 1945. The shop was considered state-of-the-art for its time and Brooks was considered a master precision machinist. Brooks was also known for his prowess as a water well digger throughout the Scottsdale area during the 1930s and 1940s and he used the shop’s equipment in his drilling business.
The machinery within the shop was mostly made in the 1800s and every lathe, drill press, and milling machine was run by a series of belts from overhead shafts. Many things were built within the shop, including scale model live steam locomotives and during World War II, Brooks was contracted by the AiResearch to build precision tools and parts for B-29 bombers.
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