The Brown Families of Adair County, Iowa

Indefatigable energy and wise management have been the secret of the success which has come to Isaac Brown in the conduct of his farming interests. He makes his home on section 18, Eureka township, and has been a resident of Adair county for eight years. He was born in Bloomfield, New Jersey, October 31, 1850, a son of John and Sarah (Andrews) Brown, both of whom were natives of England, whence they came to America following their marriage. The father was a matter by trade and after taking up his above in Newark, New Jersey, in 1848, he there continued to work at his trade until 1855, when he removed to Grundy county, Illinois, where he purchased land and engaged in farming until his death in 1866. Mrs. Brown continued her residence in Grundy county until she too was called to her final rest in 1908.

Isaac Brown went with his parents to Illinois and there attended school and worked upon the home farm, giving his mother the benefit of his services until he reached his majority. He then rented a farm in Kendall county, Illinois, operating it on shares for one year. At the end of that time he returned home, remaining with his mother and farming land for neighbors for five years. During the succeeding twenty years he was in the employ of Cryder Collins, a very prominent farmer of Saratoga township, Grundy county, Illinois, who owned extensive tracts of land. Mr. Brown then leased for ten years one of the Collins tracts, broke the raw prairie, tiled the land, developed and cultivated the fields but lived thereon for fifteen years. His entire life has been devoted to general agricultural pursuits and there is no phase of farm work which is not familiar to him.

On the ist of March, 1907, Mr. Brown came to Adair county and purchased two hundred acres of land where he now lives on section 18, Eureka township. Eight years prior to this time he had purchased two hundred and forty acres not far distant. He now rents the latter tract but personally cultivates his home place, on which he lias made extensive improvements until today he is the owner of one of the best farms of the township. It constitutes an attractive feature of the landscape with its commodious and substantial buildings, its carefully cultivated fields, its well kept fences and its modern farm machinery. In addition to raising grain he feeds cattle and hogs and has a fine herd of Angus cattle, all full blooded and eligible to registration. He is likewise a stockholder in the Berea Horse Company, which owns stables in th(; village of Berea, where they keep a fine Percheron stallion and two Mammoth jacks.

On the 13th of April, 1890, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Brown and Miss Anna Nelson, a daughter of Hogen and Bertha (Johnson) Nelson, both of whom were natives of Nprway. The father was a farmer by occupation and after living for some time in Illinois they removed to Wright county, Iowa, where the death of Mrs. Nelson occurred. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born three children.

Ermine Mabel, who was born March 8, 1892, was graduated from the Anita high school with the class of 1911 and from Drake University in 1915, and is now. principal of the high school at Neola. Etliel M., born June 17, 1897, completed the high-school course at Anita in 1915. Isaac Eugene, born June 22, 1902, is attending school in the home district.

Mr. Brown votes with the Republican party. He supports the Methodist Episcopal church and his influence is on the side of reform, progress and improvement. His business interests have been wisely conducted and have become extensive. He is now at the head of farming and stock-raising interests of extensive proportions and is one of the leading representatives of his line of activity in Adair county. He studies modern conditions, is acquainted with the results of scientific investigation of all farm work and directs his efforts in a most sagacious manner, with the result that an excellent financial return is secured.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ALLEN R. BROWN.

Allen R. Brown is a prominent stockman of Adair county. His home farm on section 30, Eureka township, comprises two hundred and eighty acres of valuable land devoted to grain raising and to live-stock interests. He came to Adair county in early manhood from his old home in Illinois, of which state he is a native, his birth having occurred in Grundy county, July 26, 1863. He is a son of John and Sarah (Andrews) Brown. The father, a native of England, was a matter by trade and worked along that line in England until 1848, when he came to America, accompanied by his wife, who was also born on the "merrie isle." They settled in Newark, New Jersey, where Mr. Brown again worked at the matter's trade until 1855, when he went to Illinois and purchased farm land in Grundy county, there carrying on general agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1866.

His widow survived liiin for more than four decades and died in Grundv county in 1908.

Allen R. JJrown attended school in Illinois and remained at home to the age of tM'cnty-three years. After his marriage he followed farming in his native state near the old homestead for two years. Later he came to Adair county and rented land in Eureka township for five years. He next purchased one hundred and sixty acres on section 30, where his son now resides, and upon that farm he continued to make his home until the fall of 1913, when he removed to his present residence not far from the old home. He is now engaged in farming two hundred and eighty acres of. land and raises considerable grain. He likewise makes stock-raising an important feature of his place and is breeding Hampshire hogs and Aberdeen Polled Angus cattle. In connection with his brother, Isaac Brown, and others, in 1900 he organized the Berea Horse Company, under the firm style of A. R. Brown & Company. They purchased an imported stallion and since that time have been engaged in breeding horses. They have a stable in the village of Berea and are now owners of Baba 41821' (60716), imported from France in 1907 — a most splendid Percheron; and also two mammoth jacks — Major Domo No. 474 and Shy James No. 4444.

On the lath of March, 1889, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to INIiss M. Jennie Pierce, a daughter of Dr. A. M. and Harriet M. (Frost) Pierce. The father was born in Whitehall, New York, and became a jDhysician and surgeon, being graduated from the Hay-Henman College of New York. The mother was a native of Vermont. They removed westward to Morris, Illinois, where Dr. Pierce passed away in 1885, while his wife survived until 1891 and also passed away in Morris. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have become the parents of five children. Zort, who was born March 2, 1890, was married in 1912 to jNliss Cora Brown, and they haA'e one child, [name withheld], born March 17, 1914. Zilpha G. was born June 2, 1893. Armandine, born May 27, 1897, is attending the high school at Anita. Allegra J., born June 28, 1901, is also a student in the Anita high school. [name withheld], born June 7, 1909. is a pupil in the Lone Tree school of Eureka township. The eldest son is living upon the old home place and assists his father in carrying on the farm work.

In politics Mr. Brown is independent, voting for men and measures rather than any party. He served as school director for several terms in his home district and he is interested in those things which certain to the welfare and development of his community. He has never desired public office, however, but devotes his entire attention to his farming and business interests, which, capable managed, have placed him on the plane of affluence.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PAUL T. BROWN.

Paul T. Brown was but three years of age when brought to Adair county, where he has since lived. He now makes his home on section 18, Eureka township, adjoining Berea, and he is identified with both mercantile and agricultural pursuits. He was born in Grundy county, Illinois, August 19, 1882, a son of Samuel and Almira CTabler) Brown, both of whom were natives of Grundy county. The father was a farmer and cultivated a tract of land in Grundy comity until 1885, when he removed with his family to Adair county and purchased four hundred acres of land in Eureka township, of which two hundred acres is now owned by Isaac Brown, while Paul T. Brown has ten acres and his brother one hundred and ninety acres. The father improved this place and operated it until 1903, when he sold the property and went to Atlantic, Cass county, there retiring from active business life. Indolence and idleness, however, are utterly foreign to his nature and he could not bear to be without some occupation. He therefore purchased land in Cass county and is now again actively engaged in farming. His wife died October 28, 1891'.

Being but three years of age when his parents removed to this county, Paul T. Brown was accordingly reared and educated here and to his father he gave the benefit of his services until he reached the age of twenty years, when lie went to Ohio, where he engaged in farming for a year. He then returned home and for six years cultivated a rented farm, at the end of which time he purchased a general store in Berea and has since conducted a successful business along that line. He also buys cream and produce and he enjoys a large patronage. In addition he owns a fine home and ten acres of land and he is actively engaged in raising hogs. Both branches of his business are proving profitable and bring to him a substantial financial return.

On the 18th of October, 1903, Mr. Brown was joined in wedlock to INIiss Etta Smith, a daughter of Thomas T. and Paulina (Brown) Smith, the former a native of Highland county, Ohio, and the latter of Kentucky. The parents came to Adair county, Iowa, in 1879 and Mr. Smith purchased land in Jackson township, where he carried on general farming imtil 1901, when he retired from active life and removed to Ohio, where he and his wife are now living at the ages of seventy-three and sixty-seven years, resijectively. Throughout the period of the Civil war Mr. Smith served as a loyal defender of the Union, going to the front with the boys in blue of Company A, Forty-eighth Ohio Infantry. There were ten children in the Smith family, all of whom are living, and the youngest is now twenty-two years of age.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown are well known in Adair county and enjoy the warm friendship and kindly regard of many with whom they have come in contact. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, but does not seek office. In business he is making steady progress and is meeting with well deserved success.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM H. BROWN.

William H. Brown, who passed away on the 7th of April, 1914, was for a number of years actively and successfully identified with agricultural pursuits in Adair county, owning an excellent farm of one hundred ana sixty acres on section 9, Summerset township, which is now the possession of his widow. His birth occurred in Wisconsin on the 15th of October, 1860, his parents being Mr. and Mrs. John Brown, both of whom were natives of Germany. They crossed the Atlantic to America in an early day, settling in Wisconsin, in which state they continued to reside until called to their final rest. To them were born six children, five of whom survive.

William H. Brown was reared and educated in the state of his nativity but on attaining his majority removed to Crawford county, Iowa. This was in 1881. Two years later he removed to South Dakota, making his home in that state for eleven years. On the expiration of that period, however, he came to Adair county, Iowa, purchasing the farm which is now the possession of his widow and which he operated during the remainder of his life. The place comprises one hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land on section 9, Summerset township, in the cultivation of which he won a gratifying and well merited measure of success.

In 1884, in Carroll county, Iowa, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to liss Anna Brockmann, a native of Germany and a daughter of John and Maria (Bartels) Brockmann, who were likewise born in that country. They emigrated to the new world in IST-l, when their daughter Anna was nine years of age, first taking up their above in Scott county, Iowa. A year later, however, they removed to Carroll county, Iowa, there settling on a farm on which they spent the remainder of their lives. Their family numbered seven children, six of whom are yet living. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown were born five children, namely: Dora M., who is the wife of Henry Rohner; William G., who operates the old home farm; Emma A., Otto W. and Clara W., all at home.

Mr. Brown died on the 7th of April, 1911, and his remains were interred in the Fontanelle cemetery. In his passing the community sustained the loss of a substantial agriculturist and highly esteemed citizen. His life was ever in accord with the teachings of the German Lutheran church, to which his widow also belongs. Mrs. Brown has become widely and favorably known throughout the community during the period of her residence here, the circle of her friends being almost coextensive with the circle of her acquaintances.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.