The Brown Families of Clinton County, Ohio

ALEXANDER BROWN, farmer, P. 0. Cuba, a worthy pioneer of Washington Township, was born in the place of his residence, August 1, 1813. He is a son of Asa and Anna Brown, of Maine and Kentucky, respectively. They were married in Kentucky, and removed to this county about 1807, and settled in what is now Washington Township, where they were among the first settlers. Mr. Brown bought fifty acres of the original surveyors, and settled on it and cleared up a home. They both died in subsequent years, after long lives of usefulness. Our subject is the second son of his father, and was reared to manhood surrounded with all the elements of primeval nature, and was educated in the pioneer schools, which in no way were very excellent. He aided his father in clearing up a farm and in other public improvements. Mr. Brown embarked on “ life’s sea ” with rather limited means, but by his untiring energy and industry he has acquired a sufficient competency to insure his last days ones of pleasure and retirement. He owns a valuable farm of 186 acres, on which he located in October of 1842. All the improvements that it enjoys were placed there by Mr. Brown. His marriage occurred August 11, 1836, to Miss Malinda Mann, daughter of Jacob and Catharine Mann. Mrs. Brown was born June 25,1816, and died April 15, 1873. The four children aro as follows: Jano, born May 10, 1837, wife of F. F. Mitchell;

Nancy, born May 18, 1842, wife of Dr. S. B. Judkins; George W., born January 23, 1846, married Martha J. Atha; and Henry L., born January 10, 1854, married Miss Elmira Bales. Mr. Brown’s second marriage occurred January 27, 1873, with Mrs. Lizzie H. Cummins, widow of Norman Cummins, by whom she had one child — Jesse L. Cummins. Mrs. Brown was born in Highland County, October 12, 1823. Her first husband was Jesse Hundley. Two children were the fruits of this union — John D. and Wiley W. Mrs. Brown is connected with the Lutheran Church, and Mr. Brown’s religious views are Universalist. Politically, he adopts Republican doctrines and principles.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE BROWN, farmer, P. O. Martinsville, son of David and Rebecca Brown, was born in Washington Township October 1, 1841. He passed his youth and early manhood on his father’s farm. August, 1863, he rallied to his country's call, and enlisted in Company A, Second Ohio Heavy Artillery, and rendered worthy service in the Army of the Potomac; he participated in the battle of Cleveland, Tenn., and also in a number of minor battles; he was engaged principally on guard duty on Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad; he was honorably mustered out at the close of the war, and returned home and resumed farming. For the last two years, he has been engaged extensively in buying and shipping hog3. Mr. Brown was married, August, 1873, to Emma E. Hayes, a native of Washington Township, born May 31, 1846. and a daughter of Jouathan and Elizabeth Hayes. This union was given two children — Hester E. and Iva L. Mr. Brown and his wife are members of the Christian Church. Mr.

Brown’s political doctrines and principles are Democratic. He owns a farm of 103 acres in Washington Township, well improved, and under a good state of cultivation.

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

WILLIAM R. BROWN, stock raiser and shipper, Morrisville, a prominent hogshipper, is a son of\ David and Rebecca Brown. He was born in Washington Township August 22, 1844. His father was born in 1813, and died April 26, 1879; and Mrs. Brown was born December 25, 1817. They came to Clinton County at a very early day. Mr. Brown, our subject, has for the last sixteen years been engaged extensively in shipping hogs. In 1881-82, he, in company with his brother, George Browu, with the style of their firm W. R. Brown & Co., shipped about 33,700 head of hogs. Mr. Brown winters about 100 head every season. He is also engaged in breeding Poland-Chinas, and Short-Horn cattle. He owns ninety-six acres of the original homestead, which has very good improvements. He was Trustee of Washington Township for two terms. In politics, he is Democratic. He was married September 9, 1871, to Miss Martha A. McKibben, daughter of John and Matilda McKibben. They have three children — Otto G., born August 22, 1872; Oceus D., born February 26, 1874, Oma D., born April 16, 1876.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

SYLVESTER BROWN, carpenter, Cuba, was born in this township September 8, 1846. He is a son of John Brown (deceased) and Sarah Clevenger. His father enlisted in defense of the Union August, 1862, in Company C, Seventy-ninth Regiment.

On Sunday morning, May 1, 1864, when in a charge in the second day’s fight at Resaca, the fatal ball came, and he was mortally wounded, with the bleeding, half-slain heroes. He died in the field hospital May 15 following, and now sleeps with his patriotic comrades in the National Cemetery, in Chattanooga. Sylvester, the oldest of his father’s three children, was reared to manhood on his father’s farm, and received his training in the common schools. In early life, he learned the blacksmith trade with his father, and followed it for a time. The avocation of farming was his business up to

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As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM BROWN, farmer, P. 0. Port William, was born October 12, 1839, in Greene County, Ohio, and was raised to farm life near Painterville, acquiring a common education only. On October 9, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry at Xenia, but soon after was removed to Columbus, and subsequently to Stone River, Tenn., after which he participated in the battles of Mission Ridge, Chatahoocheo River, Kencsaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro and others; then engaged as teamster with Gen. Thomas’ train, in which capacity he served until the close of the war, enduring many privations which can only properly be described by those who have passed through them. But on July 18, 1865, he was honorably discharged for his valiant services rendered in days of deepest need to our nation. He returned home with no injuries save rheumatism contracted by exposure. On January 11, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. Stinson, and in the year 1875 located on his present farm of forty-four acres, and is reasonably well fixed for a man on the meridian of life. Mrs. Brown was born in Greene County, Ohio, September 4, 1813. Mr. Brown is a member of the I. 0. 0. F., and willing to assist charitable institutions. He is the son of Joshua and grandson of Richard Brown, the latter being born in Virginia, near the close of the last century, and served as a patriot in the war of 1812. He married Elizabeth Pickern, also a native of Virginia. Sometime prior to 1812, he settled in Belmont County, Ohio, where Joshua, the father of William, was born. While residing in Belmont County, he buried his wife, and married a distant relative to his first wife, viz., Mary Pickern, with whom he located in Greene County, Ohio, in 1843, and followed farming until his death in 1850, and his widow survived until February, 1870 when she, too, passed away. Five children were the result of each marriage of Richard, Joshua being the eldest, and was born and reared in Belmont County, Ohio; his birth occurred in 1814. He married Margaret Oglesbee, March 29, 1838, a native of Greene County, Ohio, where she died July 12, 1862, and was the mother of seven children, five of whom are now living. Joshua married for his second companion, Mary J. Stinson, January 28, 1864, by whom he has had five children. In the year 1874, he located in Clinton County, where he is a large land-owner.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

DR. EDWARD W. BROWN, physician, New Vienna, born in Oxford, Ohio, October 21, 1856; is a son of Samuel R. and Sarah (Duvall) Brown; he a native of County Antrim, Ireland, and she of Highland County, Ohio. The grand- parents were Allen and Margaret Brown, natives of Ireland. He was of Scotch- Irish descent and she a descendant of the French Huguenots. In the days of the French Revolution, there was a family of Huguenots, by the name of Mollyneaux, who were all killed but two sons, named John and William, who hung out of the windows by their hands, and by that means were unobserved by the soldiers. Subsequently they escaped to the seacoast, and secreted themselves in a vessel that was about to set sail, they knew not where; but they were landed in Ireland, it is believed at Belfast. From one of these brothers Mrs. Margaret Brown descended. She was a lady of fine education and attainments and possessed of a remarkably strong and active mind. About 1824, Allen Brown, with his family, emigrated to America, and located at Point Pleasant, Ky.; thence, after a few years’ residence, removed to Highland County, Ohio, near where Buford now stands, on the old Cincinnati and Chillicothe stage route. There he erected a large two-story log house, in which he kept tavern, and there resided till his death, at the age of eighty-four years. His wife survived him several years, and died in her eighty-fifth year. He was a man of great energy of character, and did a prosperous business in his tavern, and had a farm of 300 acres of fine land. They had five sons and one daughter. Four sons now survive — Judge Thomas, John (who resides on the old homestead), James and William. SamuelR., the father of our subject, was about seven years of age when they landed in Kentucky, he being the eldest of the family, and there he grew up under the sturdy influences of the surroundings in those days. There he was a playmate of the boy who subsequently became Gen. Grant, and there, in his boyhood days, he plied his oar in rowing his skiff across the Ohio, transferring people from one shore to the other. He acquired a good education for those days, and when nineteen or twenty years of age taught school, and continued to apply himself to that vocation till he acquired some means, when he entered upon the mercantile trade in Buford. There he continued several years, where was fully manifested his skill and general business tact and prosperity, which continued to grow with the man as he advanced in years. He soon required a larger room for his increased and growing business. He purchased a property upon which was a large and commodious building, in which he continued business, and married Sarah Duvall, a daughter of Judge John Duvall. Mr. Brown continued at Buford several years, having a very prosperous business. Thence he exchanged his store,and stock of goods for 300 acres of land, and after one year’s residence on his farm he removed to Oxford, Ohio, and again entered into mercantile trade, in partnership with Newton, under the firm name of Newton & Brown. This partnership continued doing a very profitable and extensive business till in 1864, when Mr. Brown concluded to return to his farm, and he sold out his interest in the store to Mr. Newton. He now gave his especial attention to farming, entering largely upon raising and dealing in fine improved stock. He now had a farm of 600 acres, having added 300 acres by purchase while at Oxford. He erected one of the largest and finest barns in the county; also erected a fine, commodious house, and now had one of the finest stock farms in the county, and supplied it with the best improved stock. Mr. Brown’s entire life had been marked with great financial success; but death had fixed upon him as a shining mark, and he was taken suddenly away by heart disease on December 22, 1881, in his sixty-fifth year of age. Thus suddenly passed away one of the most active business men of the county, and one whose character and integrity stood untarnished and whose death was mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Mr. Brown’s wife died December 13, 1880. They had eight children. Seven now survive — Maggie '(now Widow Sinks), John A., Anna

(married to Dr. S. S. Salisbury, of Washington C. H. Charles E., Edward W., James D. and Mary Bell. The subject of this sketch assisted his father in business till sixteen years of age, receiving a limited common-school education; thence attended the high school at Hillsboro two years, after which he continued on his father’s farm till nineteen years of age; thence he entered upon the study of medicine under Dr. S. S. Salisbury, at Washington C. H. In September, 1877, he entered the Hahnemann Medical College at Philadelphia, from which he graduated March 10, 1879; and in June of the same year, he located in New Vienna, and entered upon the practice of his profession, where he has since continued and has established a very good practice.

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

STEPHEN C. BROWN.

Listed among the progressive farmers of Liberty township, this county, Stephen C. Brown operates a splendid farm of ninety-three acres and his homo is equipped with all of the conveniences available now in the country. He was born in Lucas county, Ohio, on September 29, 1RS1, the son of Edmund G. and Jessie (Cowdery) Brown. Edmuud G. Brown was born in Dayton, Ohio, on April 30, 1855. and his wife was born in Union City, Indiana, the daughter of DJah Cowdery, who for many years was a dentist of Union City. The paternal grandfather of Stephen C. Brown was Henry L. Brown, who was a merchant at Dayton. Ohio, and who had a large store In what Is now the center of Dayton. He was a leader in the Presbyterian church and a man of considerable wealth.

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Stephen C. Brown was educated in the public schools of Ohio and on September 19, 1904. was married to Nettie Shrack. who was a student at Wilmington College during 190.'$ and 1004. She is the daughter of J. H. and Olive (Carroll) Shrack. farmers of IJberty township, this county, and members of the Baptist church. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown five children have been born. Edith M., Stephen. Jr., Olive Carroll. Edmund H. and Pauline S.

Mr. Brown has lately remodeled his house, and In 1914 built a barn. He has equipped the house with bath, furnace and all other modern conveniences, and he and his family are delightfully situated. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Baptist church at Wilmington, and Mr. Brown is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

As printed in the source³. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.