The Brown Families of Nodaway County, Missouri

All credit and respect is due the old pioneers who blazed the way for succeeding generations and labored unceasingly that those who should come after them might be happy and prosperous. We of the aftermath are phone to lose sight of the wonderful deeds they did and the unselfish sacrifices they made; nevertheless, all honor is due them. Such a one is John Brown, one of Nodaway county's venerable citizens, who has lived to take part in every stage of development of this locality, having come here when the wild best and the red man roamed at will over prairie sod and through primeval woods. He was born in Jackson county, Tennessee, August 23, 1824, and is the son of Andrew and Mary (Yount) Brown. The mother was a na five of North Carolina, from which state she came to Tennessee with her parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Yount. John’s father was a native of Sullivan county, Kentucky, who came to Tennessee with his parents, George Brown and wife. When John Brown-was a boy, not over ten years of age, the family came to Clinton county, Missouri, and after remaining there one

6/6 winter moved to Platte county and lived there ten years. In 1841 or 1842 they came to where the town of Graham, Nodaway county, is now located and the father and his children secured a section of government land, when there were but few settlers here, but there was a good supply of timber and several families were located within a few miles. At that time they did not think the prairies could or would be settled. After going a mile or two from where they settled no more houses were seen until Maryville was reached. There were no roads except Indian trials to Maryville, and, of course, no bridges. The vicinity of Graham was then a part of Andrew county. There were no schools. The town of Graham was started by Andrew Brown, who platted part of his farm and sold lots and called the place Brownsville, which name it bore until after the Civil war. The father of John Brown died in 1874, his wife having preceded him to the grave seven months. They were the parents of nine children, three of whom died in childhood, six living to maturity, Jacob Madison, John, Isaiah, Wilson G., Sarah and Nancy Emeline, wife of Rev. John Tate.

John Brown, of this review, was married February 6, 1845, to Priscilla Bohannan, daughter of Thomas and Penelope (Bartlett) Bohannan. They were married where the town of Skidmore now stands, just west of where the Christian church is now located; that was about thirty-five years before the town was started. Mr. Brown followed farming all his life, with the exception of a few years devoted to blacksmithing. He is a remnant of that hardy band that crossed the dreary western plains to California in 1850 during the gold excitement, and he remained on the Pacific coast two years. His stories of those days and of the early pioneer times in this country are, indeed, instructive and fascinating. Mr. Brown was a soldier in the Confederate army during the Civil war, being under Captain Burris. He took part in the fights at Blue Mills and Lexington, both of which were severe, although not of extensive magnitude. He served four years, or through the war, and was honorably discharged. After the war he went to Nebraska where he farmer several years, then came back to Nodaway county where he has since made his home.

When fourteen years old he joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and he was one of the early members of the Masonic lodge of this county and is now the oldest Mason in the county having membership here. For many years he was taler of Skidmore Lodge, serving up to his eighty-fifth birthday. His wife was called to her reward on November 4, 1877. Nine children were born to them, named as follows: Adeline married John

Mast, whose sketch appears herein; Andrew Jackson; Mary Ellen married George Sharp; Amanda Jane died in infancy; Elizabeth married Ephreim Tilton, of Maryville; Zelda E. married James A. Clark; Hester Cordelia is the wife of Oren Masters; George and Frank. John Brown has eleven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild living.

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

I. F. BROWN, farmer, speculator and cattle feeder, section 11, is a descendant of one of the first families 01 Nodaway County, and is a grand child of Abner Brown, the founder of the city of Graham. The subject of this sketch, better known as "Frank," is a native of Graham, Nodaway County, Missouri, and was born on the 27th day of June, 1847. He spent his youthful days here, and received a good common school education at this place. He was the eldest son of J. M. and Elizabeth Brown, and when at the age of fifteen years his father enlisted in the army and lost his life in the war of the rebellion, Frank being the eldest son, it fell on his shoulders to look after the interest of the farm and family.

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

W. W. BROWN, farmer, speculator, and cattle feeder, section 6, is a native of Nodaway County, Missouri, and was born January 20, 1848. He is the second son of J. M. and Elizabeth Brown. The former the son of Abner Brown, one of the first settlers of Hughes Township, he having come here in 1840. The subject of this narrative spent his boyhood days and received his education at Graham. When he was the age of fourteen years, his father enlisted in the army and lost his life at Memphis, Tennessee, in 1863. W. W.'s time was for the next few years devoted to assisting his mother with the farm. When twenty years old he disposed of his interest in the farm to his brothers, and began the business of a live stock speculator. In 1876 he purchased 240 acres of land, making an additional purchase in 1880, till now he owns some 400 acres of well improved land, with buildings complete, and well watered. Mr. Brown was married on the 20th day of November, 1870, to Miss Martha A. Trapp, a native of Andrew County, Missouri, born February 1, 1854. She is the daughter of Rev. Christian Trapp, a pioneer and a native of Missouri, born in 18 19 in Lafayette County, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. B. are both members of the Christian Church. Their family consists of two children: Claudius O., born December 17, 1872; Orie B., born January 20, 1879.

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

JONAS F. BROWN.

The visitor to the old Brown homestead, or more properly, plantation in the historic Blue Grass state of nearly a century ago found there the true hospitality and characteristic freedom of the premises of which so much has been said and written of those early days in the old South, and, coming down through two generations or more, many of the admirable qualities of head and heart of the Browns of those days are found outcropping in the character of Jonas F. Brown, a Nodaway county farmer, who is a native of Rock Castle county, Kentucky, born there on July 27, 1864, the son of Daniel Brown. The father was also born in that place, June 10, 1833, being the son of Stephen and Barbara Brown. He remained in Rock Castle county until after Lee's surrender in the spring of 1865. He married Ruthie Watson, a native of Pulaski county, Kentucky, and eleven children were born to them. At the close of the Civil war. Daniel Brown moved to Blinois and lived there four years, then, in November, 1869, came to Nodaway county, Missouri, and located two miles west and one mile north of Skidmore where he remained until 1902, having bought forty acres of land when he arrived here. Afterwards a spell of sickness, which lasted eighteen months, reduced him almost to poverty; but when he recovered he resumed work on his forty acres, only a part of which had been paid for. But he had a team and about six months’ provisions, and in time he paid his debts and was enabled to buy more land, from time to time, until he owned a total of four hundred and forty acres, which he farmer successfully. He sold out about 1900 and moved into Skidmore, where he has since resided.

Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Brown; one, named Andrew, died when four years old in Kentucky; all the others grew to maturity and are living; Rhoda Ann married J. C. Collins and lives about three lese miles northwest of Skidmore, and of the five children born to her, three are living; George Marion lives three miles southeast of Burlington Junction, married Etta Wiles and has eleven children living and two deceased; he has three hundred and twenty acres in a farm there; Jonas Fountain lives on his father’s old home place in the west half of Monroe township; he married Julia Gwin and they have six children; he owns three hundred and sixty acres of land; Charles Willard lives on a part of the old home place and owns two hundred acres well improved; he married Stallie Ruddell, daughter of William Ruddell; of the four children born to them, two are living, two having died in infancy; he has a fine, modern home; Barbara married Clyde Gilliland and lives in Texas; they have two children; Betty Jane, who married Robert E. Singleton, lives in Randolph county, Missouri, and has four children; Hattie May, who married R. E. Bender, lives in Texas and of her three children, one is deceased; Carrie married Thomas Martin and lives in Bedford, Iowa; of six children born to them, five are living; John Franklin is farming in Texas and is unmarried; Nettie Belle is at home with her father. Mr. Brown and all his daughters belong to the Christian church. Mrs. Brown's death occurred on April 1, 1896.

When Jonas F. Brown, of this review, was twenty-one years of age he began life for himself, having at that age finished a select school at Quitman, a select school at Skidmore-and two terms of school in the college at Tarkio, having left the school room in 1891.

On March 9, 1892, Mr. Brown married Julia E. Gwin, daughter of Theodore Gwin and wife. She was born in Wisconsin, and she attended select school at Skidmore for two terms, also the Maryville Seminary. Although successfully passing the teachers' examination, she never engaged in teaching.

Two years after his marriage, Mr. Brown sold the farm he previously owned and bought a quarter-section near Quitman; five years later he sold that and moved back to the old home neighborhood, bought a farm on which he has lived continuously ever since — eleven years in August, 1910. He now owns an excellent farm of three hundred and sixty acres, all in the northwestern part of Monroe township all adjoining, and here he carries on farm ing and stock raising very successfully.

Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, named as follows: Cecil Austin, Cora Mildred, Ethel Elizabeth, Myrtle Lois, Gladys Allene and Blanche Bernice. Mr. Brown is a very sociable man, and is well liked by all who know him. He has a pleasant home and delights in entertaining visitors.

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

W. TAYLOR BROWN..

One of Green township’s old and highly respected farmers is W. Taylor Brown, a man worthy of the respect of his neighbors and friends, owing to his past life, which has been so carefully regulated as not to give offense to any one, willfully. He was born in Rock Castle county, Kentucky, April 14. 1844. and is the son of Stephen and Barbara Brown. He grew to maturity in his old Kentucky home and received some schooling in the old-time schools there. Leaving his native state, he came to Illinois and lived three years, coming to Nodaway county, Missouri, in 1867. About 1880 he bought the farm where he now resides in the south side of section 14, southwest part of Monroe township. He is the owner of a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres in his home place and one hundred and twenty acres in Holt county. In 1875 he married Nancy Jane Kyle, daughter of James Madison and Elizabeth Kyle. She was born and reared in Nodaway county, Missouri.

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

J. B. BROWN.

In view of the success that has attended the efforts of J. B. Brown as a miller of the soil in Nodaway county and as a general business man, the youth of his community would make no mistake in emulating his methods of work, for his life has been directed along channels that ultimately lead to success and to the establishment of a reputation of which anyone should be pleased to contemplate.

Mr. Browm was born in Clinton, Tennessee, in 1844. He is the son of William and Melinda (Overton) Brown, the father born in Kentucky and the mother in Virginia, each representatives of excellent old Southern families. While they were yet single they accompanied their parents, in a very early day, to the vicinity of Clinton, Tennessee. The country was yet heavily wooded and there Indians were still to be met with. There the parents of the subject met and married. William Brown devoted his life to farming and stock raising, also bought and sold large numbers of livestock for many years and was considered a good trade. He spent the remainder of his life in Tennessee and died there in 1861. He was first a Whig, later a Republican, and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They were the parents of ten children, seven boys and three girls.

J. B. Brown was educated in the country schools and worked on the farm when a boy. When only eighteen years of age he gave vent to his patriotism by enlisting as a private in Company D, First Tennessee Light Artillery, in 1862, and with that company he remained until 1865, and although he was in many hard-fought battles and trying campaigns, always faithful in the discharge of his duty, he was never wounded or taken prisoner.

After returning from the army, Mr. Brown married in Tennessee, in 1866, M. E. Moore, and they soon afterwards began farming, remaining in that community until 1869, in which year they came to Nodaway county, Missouri, settling near Clearmont and they have since lived in this vicinity, being regarded as among the leading citizens of this part of the county.

Mr. Brown first bought land here about 1877; he was always a hard worker and a good manager and he has accumulated two hundred and eighty-five acres of as good land as the township can boast, which he has highly improved and placed under a high state of cultivation. It had but small improvements when he first purchased it. Here he has carried on general farm ing in a most successful manner. He keeps an excellent variety of roadhorses, also draft horses, and does an extensive business buying and selling them. No better judge of a horse is to be found in the county.

Mr. Brown was one of the organizers of the Clearmont Bank, of which sound and thriving institution he has been vice-president nearly ever since it was organized, and has very ably discharged his duties as such.

Politically he is a Democrat, and a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the chapter, commander, and the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he takes considerable interest in all these fraternal orders. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown three children were born. Flora B., French P. and Myrtle M. The mother of these children, who is remembered as a woman of splendid Christian attributes, was called to her rest on October 21, 1908. She was a member of the Christian church, of which the daughters are also members.

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

J. B. BROWN.

farmer and stock dealer, section 2, post office Burlington Junction, was born December 29, 1844, his mother's home being in Anderson County, Tennessee. There he was reared and educated. In [862 he espoused the Federal cause and enlisted in Battery D, of the First Heavy Artillery of Tennessee, remaining in service for twenty-three months, when he was mustered out at Nashville. In 1869 he moved to his present location, where he has since resided. He has followed farming from boyhood, and now owns forty acres of land that will compare with any in the county. He is a member of Burlington Junction Lodge, U. D., of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Brown was married April 15, 1866, to Miss M. E. Moore. She was born in the same county as himself, November 23, 1847, and was there reared and educated. They have three children: Flora B., Myrtie and French L. Mr. and Mrs. B. are members of the M. E. Church. Mr. Brown's father, William, was a native of Kentucky, and his mother, Malinda (Overton) Brown, came from Tennessee.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected.

NATHAN B. BROWN, farmer and stock raiser, section I, was born in Coxbury, Licking County, Ohio, on the 21st day of October, 1842. His parents were L. R. Brown, a farmer and carpenter, a native of Massachusetts, and Ann (Gleason) Brown, who was born in New York. Nathan passed his boyhood on the farm in his native county until he was nine years of age. He attended the common schools, and in 1857 became a resident of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1874 he came to Nodaway County, where he now owns 140 acres of good land, well watered and stocked, and upon which is a nice orchard. During the late war he served for three years in Company F, Fifth Missouri State Militia, cavalry, and took part in the battles of Big Blue, Little Osage, Jefferson City and Booneville. On the 16th day of March, 1869, he was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Stephenson, a daughter of A. B. Stephenson, of California, Missouri. Their family consists of Henry E., born May 29, 1870; Flora EL, born February 4, 1872; Justice J., born October 3 1, 1874 Luke E., born February 11,. 1877, and Bessie, born March 31, 1880. Mr, Brown has filled the office of road supervisor. He is Republican in politics, and is one of the most enterprising men of this district.

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