Brown, B. W.

BROWN, BABCOCK, WHEELER, LEWIS, BARBER, MCGLAFLIN, GILBERT

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/11/2009 at 18:55:39

B. W. Brown

It is men of broad and comprehensive views who give life to communities and build cities, men who in the darkness of adverse circumstances, as well as in more favorable periods, look beyond the clouds, and have the pluck, energy and foresight to push forward their enterprises, extend speculation and fairly wrest success from calamity. Just such a man is B. W. Brown, who is one of the prominent businessmen of Prairie City, Iowa. He is a native of Connecticut, born in North Stonington April 4, 1836. His father, Cyrus W. Brown, was born in the same place, as was also the grandfather, Cyrus W. Brown. The Brown family came originally from England, and date their history in America back to the landing of the Pilgrims. The grandfather was a soldier in the War of 1812, and participated in the battle of Stonington.

The father of our subject was born in 1806. For half a century he was an extensive hide and wool merchant, in which he made a fortune, and was a man of superior attainments, being well educated and well posted on all subjects. For many years he was a member of the Connecticut Legislature, and was quite a power in local politics. He held several important offices, and for many years was a Deacon in the Baptist Church. Broad in his views, honest in the extreme and charitable to a fault, he was not known to have had an enemy in the world. His death occurred in Connecticut in 1875. He had but one brother, who was accidentally burned to death when small. He married Miss Elizabeth S. Babcock, a native of North Stonington, Conn., who was also descended from old Puritan stock. She was a very devout Christian, and a member of the Baptist Church. She read the Bible through seven times in her life, and few were better posted on Biblical subjects. Her death occurred in 1886, when eighty years of age.

B. W. Brown was one of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, born to the above-mentioned couple. All but one of these are now living. C. H. is a wealthy businessman in Boston, Mass. Emily E. married Thomas W. Wheeler, of North Stonington, who served in the Legislature of Connecticut for several terms and also as Probate Judge, and is quite a prominent man in his locality. Louise married Dr. E. R. Lewis, and they both died in Rhode Island; their son, Edward R. Lewis, is a prominent physician in Westerly, R. I., and a graduate of Harvard. Gideon P. was for several years engaged in the wool business, and for some time was the treasurer of a large woolen mill at Providence, R. I.; at present he is the superintendent of a large paper mill.

Thomas S. is a provision dealer at Brookline, Mass. John B., who was a soldier in the Civil War, was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant and served three years; he is now a merchant at Westerly, R. I. Ellen married Allen Barber, a stockman of Lincoln, Neb. William, who was formerly a provision dealer in Brookline, Mass., left that state, and the last heard of him he was in Australia. James S. is a wool merchant at Stonington, Conn. And is now proprietor of the North Stonington Stock Farm, and is a very wealthy man.

In the schools of Stonington our subject received his education, and when eighteen years of age he went to Hartford, Conn., where he clerked in a store for some time. Later he embarked in the grocery business on his own account in that city and continued this for five years. During the war he sold out and came west to Jasper County, Iowa, locating four and a half miles east of Prairie City, where he engaged in farming and stock raising. In this he continued for sixteen years, and in 1880 he was elected to the Board of Supervisors, serving as such for four and a-half years. He was then elected Auditor of Jasper County, and held that position for four years. During this time he lived in Newton, and after retiring from the last mentioned office he located on his farm, where he remained for two years. With others, he then established the State Bank of Prairie City, and was its first Cashier. One year later, his other business enterprises becoming so pressing, he resigned, sold his farm, and has since devoted his time to his poultry business, being one of the largest shippers in the state.

In the year 1860 Mr. Brown married Miss Almyra McGlaflin, of Hartford, Conn. Her father, James McGlaflin, enlisted in the army and was never heard of after the first battle. Mrs. McGlaflin accumulated a fortune of $20,000 running a first class boarding house in Hartford. Mrs. Brown's only brother, Charles, also enlisted in the army, was wounded and died from the effects of the same. He held a Lieutenant's commission. Her only sister, Laura A., the widow of Charles H. Gilbert, is now a teacher in the schools of Hartford. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have had three children. Lee E. is assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Newton; Minnie L. has completed her education and is at home; Benjamin W. is now in school. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Baptist Church at Hartford. He is a Mason and a Knight Templar in that order. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 266.