67 Years: Brooks Trap Mill – What began as a sawmill is now a major trap producer for New England and Canada
David Fitzpatrick | BDN
The current owners, Karl’s children,
are (from left) Stephen Brooks, Julie Brooks Russo, and Mark Brooks.
Michael Ojala, a Finnish immigrant, settled in the Thomaston area before World War II with an eye on becoming a lawyer. Back then, no schooling was required; you only needed to apprentice under a lawyer and pass the bar exam. But the lawyer Ojala was apprenticing under, a Mr. Miles, advised that he change his name; it was difficult to pronounce (OY-ah-la) and Finns weren’t too favorably looked upon (this was before the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland in 1939, after which Finns’ reputation in the U.S. did a complete one-eighty). Since “Ojala” meant “beck,” a swiftly running brook, Michael chose the last name “Brooks.” Read more
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