BROWN, Marcus E. M.D.

BROWN, WEAVER, VAN SICKLE, HOSMUN, BAKER, BLATTNER

Posted By: Nettie Mae (email)
Date: 1/29/2019 at 10:43:44

MARCUS E. BROWN, M.D.

Since 1878 the city of Clinton, Iowa, has been the home of Dr. Marcus E. Brown, and here he has won distinction as a physician and surgeon. His birth was in Otego, Otsego county, New York, on November 2, 1836, and he was a son of Jonathan and Almira (Weaver) Brown, farming people of that locality.

Until he was fourteen years of age, young Marcus Brown attended school and assisted on the farm, but at that time made a trip to Jo Daviess county, Illinois, in order to visit a sister, Mrs. A. V. Van Sickle, who resided in the village of Warren. Not long after reaching there our subject found employment in the store of M. J. Bartes, later becoming a clerk in the hotel of Mr. Landow, who highly appreciated his services. His uncle, Dr. I. Weaver, a successful physician, offered him a chance to study medicine under his supervision, but on account of poor health he went to Virginia, where he had a plantation. Just at this time the Civil war broke out and he returned North, and our subject finished his medical studies with him at Cincinnati, Ohio.

On July 1, 186l, Dr. Brown enlisted for service during the Civil war. being mustered in at St. Louis and serving at the arsenal until he was assigned to duty at Quincy, Illinois, where he was attached to a Missouri regiment. Shortly after, during a skirmish with guerillas, he was shot in the leg and his horse was killed, and he was thrown on a log, the knots of which pierced his back, and from this injury he has never recovered. After a long period in the hospitals he was given charge of Ward No. 1, at Rolla, Missouri. In 1865 he was sent to Washington City and had charge of a hospital ward there until 1866, returning at that date to Quincy, Illinois, and entering into practice in association with Dr. Lewis.

The following ten years were employed in active work in his profession, in which he was eminently successful, being frequently called to different parts of the country on special cases. After two years spent in Jo Daviess county he located at Dixon, Illinois, where he formed a partnership with Dr. Stephenson and Dr. Seymour, in 1878 coming to Clinton. Locating on the second floor of the Fall block, Dr. Brown established the Northern Medical and Surgical Institute, which he has thoroughly equipped with all modern improvements, fitting up for vapor, Turkish and electric baths. Two years later, Dr. Brown assumed entire control of the institute, but this impaled upon him so much personal exertion that his health failed, and, after continuing the business for three more years, he finally closed the institute, much to the regret of those who had benefited by its modes of treatment. Since that time he has devoted his life to a general medical and surgical practice, and although somewhat retired, he still is called upon and relied on by many of those who were his patients when he first located in Clinton. Since 1900 his health has been such that he has been compelled to relinquish all office practice, responding only to special calls in surgery.

Dr. Brown was married to Miss Adelia C. Hosmun, who was a daughter of Frederick and Carrie (Baker) Hosmun. The former was born in Aron, Prussia, and was a son of Ernest Hosmun, of the same locality. Mr. Hosmun came to Clinton in 1865, where he opened up a bakery and confectionery business, became very prosperous, owned considerable real estate, built two business blocks, one of which his wife still owns, which is located on Second street. His death occurred in 1879, at the age of forty-two years. Mrs. Hosmun was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Blattner) Baker, both of whom were born in Switzerland. Mrs. Brown has one brother, Henry Hosmun, who by trade is an engineer.

The three children born to Dr. and Mrs. Brown were: Elmira Elizabeth, who graduated from the high school at Clinton, and is now a bookkeeper for a large wholesale produce company of this city; Beulah and Thera. Socially Dr. Brown is a member of the G. A. R., where he enjoys the esteem of his comrades in arms.

Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.