Edwin Brown

As printed in 1909

EDWIN BROWN.

Edwin Brown, a farmer whose ice cream is well known in this section of the country, was born in Hartford county, Connecticut, November 3, 1849, the son of John P. and Annis (Bacon) Brown. The mother was a native of Hartford county, the Bacons being one of the oldest families, dating back to colonial days. John Brown, on the other hand, was of English birth and came to the United States in his early manhood. In the country of his birth he had learned designing for carpet weaving and on his advent in Connecticut became one of the designers of patterns for the Hartford Carpet Company, a firm which is still in existence and has one of the largest manufacturing plants of its kind in the world. John Brown worked for the company for many years, until the first strike, when he was one of the men who walked out and refused to return. For a time subsequent to this he engaged in the butcher business, both wholesale and retail, in Hartford county, but in 1872, with three sons and one daughter, he came to Washington county, Iowa. Here he secured a farm in Lime Creek township, the one now owned by his daughter. Mrs. Eunice Brown, upon which he lived until his death, in 1891, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-three years.

Edwin Brown, the subject of this sketch, was one of the sons who came with the father to Washington county in 1872, but in the fall of the same year he went to Chicago, where he was employed as meter inspector by the water works department of that city. He held this position for eight years and in 1880 returned to Washington county, locating on a farm of eighty

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

In 1874 Mr. Brown married Miss Emma Sperry. of Wan Buren county. Michigan, and became the father of five children: Frank E.. a farmer of Lime Creek town.ship; Grace E.. the wife of Ernest Gabriel, of the same township; Anna B.. the wife of Ralph Foster, also of Lime Creek township; George L., associated with the father in farming and the ice cream manufacturing business: and Arthur.' deceased. The family are members of the Wellman Baptit church and are regular in the performance nf their religious duties.

When occasion requires the exercise of his franchise, Mr. Brown votes with the Republican party, but though he has ever been interested in the welfare of the community and in good government he has never been an office seeker. And yet he has for twenty years been a member of the school board, and in this capacity has rendered valuable service to the citizens and has proved how well founded was the trust reposed in his powers by those who have repeatedly elected him to this position. He is a man highly esteemed among those who know him, for he is possessed of sterling qualities.

As printed in History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.