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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
INDEX
Source:
The County of Williams
A History of Williams County, Ohio,
from the Earliest Days with Special Chapters on Various Subjects,
including Each of the Different Townships;
Also a Biographical Department
By William Henry Shinn
PART 2
Published
Madison, Wis.
Northwestern Historical Association
1905
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GRANVILLE G. BROWN,
one of the substantial farmers and most popular
citizens of Madison township, where he has
served as road supervisor for fully a score of
years, besides having held other offices of
trust, has developed one of the valuable farms
of this section of the country and is a leading
representative of agricultural interests, being
at the present time vice-president of the
Williams County Agricultural Society.
Mr. Brown was born in Fulton county, O.,
Sept. 18, 1844, and is a son of Daniel and
Emily (Atwood) Brown, the former of whom was
born in Vermont, of Colonial ancestry, while the
latter was born in Maryland. Daniel
Brown had the sturdy characteristics of the
New England type, was self-educated and in no
uncertain way was the architect of his own
fortunes. He came to Fulton county, O., in
an early day and there purchased a tract of
heavily timbered land, which he reclaimed to
cultivation. He finally sold the property
and established himself in the general
merchandise business at Burlington, Fulton
county, O., where he remained until 1856, when
he came to Williams county, becoming one of the
substantial farmers of Madison township.
Here he continued to reside until 1884, when he
went to Kansas, where he passed the remainder of
his life, dying in 1888, at a venerable age.
He was originally a Whig and later a Republican
in politics, and for a time he served as
postmaster at Deer Lick, this county. His
first wife died in Fulton county, O., in 1847,
and his second wife, whose maiden name was
Taylor, died about 1878, after which he
married Sarah Horton, who is now
deceased. Of the nine children of the
first marriage only three are living.
Granville G. Brown secured his early
education in the common schools of Burlington,
Fulton county, and Madison township, Williams
county, and continued to be associated with his
father in the operation of the home farm until
he had attained the age of eighteen years, when
he initiated his independent career.
During the Civil war he was in the employ of the
government in the capacity of carpenter,
enlisting in his home county and continuing to
be thus engaged until the close of the war.
In 1865 he effected the purchase of a part of
his present farm, to which he has added, until
it now comprises one hundred and sixty acres,
and the appearance of the place to-day, with its
well tilled fields, substantial modern buildings
and all other evidences of thrift and
prosperity, is very different from what it was
when he secured the property, for it was then
covered with the native timber and had
practically no improvements; so that the
evidences of his effective labors are patent to
all, while he has so lived as to merit and
receive the unqualified esteem and confidence of
his fellow citizens. In politics Mr.
Brown is a stanch Republican and he has
taken a loyal interest in public affairs,
particularly those of a more local nature.
He has served as township trustee and assessor,
as a member of the school board about twenty
years, and as road supervisor for about the same
length of time, and has also held the office of
jury commissioner. In his youth he served
under his father as assistant postmaster at Deer
Lick, a postoffice now abandoned under the free
rural delivery service. He has long been a
member of of the board of directors of the
Williams County Agricultural Society, of which
he is now vice-president. He and his wife
are prominent members of the Church of God,
belonging to the organization in their township,
and he served as superintendent of the Sunday
school about fifteen years. In 1866 was
solemnized the marriage of Mr. Brown to
Miss Elizabeth Wallace, who was born in
Richland county, O., May 3, 1847, being a
daughter of Noah and Sophia (Bowser) Wallace,
the former of whom was born in Delaware, in
1813, and the latter in Maryland, in 1817, while
they passed the closing years of their lives in
Madison township, Williams county, whither they
came in 1860, Mr. Wallace having been a
substantial farmer of this section. Both
he and his wife were members of the United
Brethren church, and in politics he was a
Republican. Of their eleven children five
are living. The following is a brief
record concerning the children of Mr. and
Mrs. Brown: Charles A., a graduate of
Bennett Medical College, and of the medical
department of the Northwest University, in
Chicago, Ill., is engaged in the practice of his
profession at Rossville, Ill.; Andrew J.
is superintendent of the public schools of
Pioneer, Williams county; George J. is
superintendent of the public schools of Pioneer,
Williams county; George A. divides his
time between teaching and farming; John B.
is a graduate of the Illinois Medical College,
in Chicago, and is now engaged in practice at
Lawrence, Ill.; Herman I. is a successful
teacher in the public schools of Ohio;
Leonard G. is a graduate of the dental
school of Northwestern University, in Chicago,
is married to Zella Lacer and is now
practicing in Chicago; Clara May is a
popular teacher; and Wesley O. and
Ernest L. remain at the parental home, all
of the children having received good educational
advantages and profited duly from the same.
Source: The County of Williams, A History of
Williams Co., Ohio, Part 2, Publ. Madison, Wis.,
Northwestern Historical Assn., 1905 - Page 306 |
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JOHN A. BROWN, a
prominent farmer of Centre township, Williams
county, O., was born on the old homestead on
July 6, 1850. He is the son of Nicholas
and Sarah (McMannis) Brown, mention of whom
is made elsewhere in this work. John A
Brown was reared on his father's farm and
educated in the common schools of the country.
Farm life was so agreeable to him while growing
to manhood that he made it has avocation for
life. In addition to general farming he
conducted a threshing machine for some years,
going quite an extensive business in that line.
For seven years he has been engaged in D. P.
Nihart in shipping live stock and has
succeeded in establishing an extensive business
amounting some months to $25,000. He owns
the farm of eighty acres on which he lives and
that of one hundred acres on which his son,
Andrew Jay Brown, resides. As an
extensive dealer in road horses and a breeder of
Chesterwhite hogs Mr. Brown is quite well
known throughout the country. In this
business he has met with unusual success, as is
clearly demonstrated by the property he has
accumulated. Being an excellent judge of
horse flesh and strictly honorable in all of his
dealings, he enjoys a prosperous business and an
enviable reputation among his fellow citizens.
In politics he is identified with the Democratic
party. Some years ago he was a member of
the National Grange and for the past eighteen
years he has served as a justice of the peace.
On Apr. 30, 1871, he was joined in wedlock to
Miss Mary Jane Stockman, born in Williams
county on May 20, 1849, the daughter of
Ephraim and America (Davison) Stockman, both
natives of Crawford county, O., who came with
their parents to Williams county in an early
day, and married there. Ephraim
Stockman is a son of George and Rachel (Tittle)
Stockman, pioneers of Williams county, where
both are buried. The parents of Mrs.
Ephraim Stockman were also pioneers of
Williams county, where they died at a ripe old
age. John A. Brown is a member of
the Methodist church and his wife is a member of
the Dunkard church. They are the parents
of two children. Clara E., the
first born, was born in Williams county on Aug.
30, 1872, and educated in the common schools.
She is the wife of William Kreiger a son
of Jacob Kreiger, a sketch of whose life
will be found elsewhere in this work. They
have three daughters, named Grace, Ermah Ruth
and Jennie Mildred. Andrew J.,
the younger, was born on Dec. 28, 1874, educated
in the public schools of the county and in the
Fayette, O., high school. He is a farmer
by occupation and a Democrat in politics,
serving as township clerk for two years.
His wife was Miss Grace Snyder of
Defiance, O. They are the parents of two
daughters, named Vera and Daisy.
Source: The County of Williams, A History of
Williams Co., Ohio, Part 2, Publ. Madison, Wis.,
Northwestern Historical Assn., 1905 - Page 307 |
NOTES:
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