In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1858, Champaign county
From History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912)
JESSE G. BROWN, one of the live business men of Gallon, O., progressive in his ideas and enterprising in his undertakings, is proprietor of the Old Reliable Piano Store, which is situated on the corner of Walnut and South Market streets, and has additional business interests. He was born on a farm in Champaign county, O., near Kingston, in 1858, and is a son of John and Anna (Myers) Brown.
John Brown and wife were born in Berks county. Pa., of old Dutch ancestry, and were reared and married there. In the forties they came to Champaign county, O., locating on a farm and spent their subsequent lives there. well known and highly respected, his death occurring at the age of 58 years. After being left a widow, JVlrs. Brown moved to urbana and died there in 1908, when aged 89 years. Both she and husband were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 1 hey had eleven children and of these one son and three daughters died in early childhood and seven reached maturity. Elizabeth is a resident of Urbana, Champaign county. Sallie J. resides at Urbana and is the widow of E. M. Most and she has four sons. David H., a county official, lives at Urbana with his wife. Eliza is the widow of E. B. Kiser and lives at Urbana with her four daughters. James and John, twins, the former of whom is a business man of Springfield, O., unmarried, while the latter is a railroad man and is married and has one son.
Jesse G. Brown was reared in Champaign county and obtained his education at Urbana. When 19 years of age he accepted a commercial position and went out on the road and for about 20 years traveled over the country, his business taking him into almost every State of the Union, his line being the selling of pianos. He was thus engaged until he determined to go into business for himself and those Gallon, of which city he had already been a resident for six years, as a good business field, establishing his present store in 1889. He carries a fine line of high grade musical goods, including the Ivers-Pond pianos of Boston, the Adam Schaafer, of Chicago, together with a special make of piano, with new and admirable features, the J. G. Brown piano, which is specially manufactured for him in New York City. He also has the exclusive agency for the Edison phonographs, for which the demand is large. Mr. Brown has been public spirited in promoting many of the business enterprises of Galion and owns stock in many of them. As a pastime Mr. Brown interested himself some 20 years ago in horticulture and fruit growing but the pastime has developed into a large business and he is known all over the state for the products of his fine orchards and his success in the growing of all kinds of fruit that will mature in this climate. Mr. Brown still finds enjoyment in his experiments and has solved many horticultural problems.
At Galion, O., Mr. Brown was married to
Miss Minnie Gledhill, who is a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Hershner) Gledhill. This substantial family of Crawford county is well known and is one of the old settled ones of Jefferson township, members of the United Brethren church, to which religious body Mr. and Mrs. Brown also belong. They have three children; Claudia O., a graduate of the Galion High School, who married E. Landis Miller, an Erie Railroad official, residing at Galion; Hazel F., who is a graduate of the Galion High School in the class of 1908; and Jesse Gledhill, who is yet a school boy.
In politics Mr. Brown is a Republican. While he has not accepted any political office he is a charter member of the Commercial Club, of which he has been president and otherwise officially connected, at present being chairman of the entertainment committee. He has been the chief over in many of the recent successful enterprises organized to make this city more widely known as a desirable place in which to establish both a home and business. He belongs to Lodge No. 186 Knights of Pythias and is a past official of the State Grand Lodge, and belongs also to the Odd Fellows at Galion.
As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
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