John Brown
BROWN, CONGER, DABNEY, DILLON, HORNBECK, POWELL, WILKIE
Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/7/2004 at 21:03:44
In the demise of John Brown, Madison county lost one of its well known pioneer farmers and stockmen. He was born in Morrow county, Ohio, January 28, 1826, the oldest child of Jacob and Elizabeth (Dillon) Brown, both of whom were of German lineage. His grandfathers were Robert Dillon and Luther Brown.
Mr. Brown was reared upon a farm and received the usual training of farm boys, assisting his father with the cultivation of the fields and the care of the stock and attending the district schools in the acquirement of an education. When he had attained his majority he began farming on his own account and in 1854 removed to this county, purchasing three hundred and twenty acres of land in Madison township. He proved an excellent farmer and stockman and gave considerable attention to the raising of cattle and sheep. He brought his land to such a high state of cultivation and made such good improvements upon the place that when it was sold he received the sum of ten thousand dollars for it He purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Lincoln township, adjoining the corporate limits of Winterset, and there resided for a number of years. He was among the leaders in the movement to improve the stock in the county and kept the best breeds of cattle and horses. About 1885 he retired from active life and rented his farm. He took up his abode in Winterset and resided there until his death, which occurred on the l0th of April, 1911, when he was eighty-five years of age. As his life had been lived in harmony with the laws of health he was active and hearty until a short time before his demise.
On the 1st of November, 1857, Mr. Brown married Miss Nancy M Powell who was born in Marion county, Indiana, on the 3d of May, 1839, a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Conger) Powell. Her father was born in Brown county, Pennsylvania, in 1796, of Welsh descent, and her mother in Essex county, New Jersey, in 1801. Mr. Powell was a farmer and became a pioneer resident of Madison county. In 1852 he removed from Indiana to Oquawka, Illinois, but in the spring of 1854 came to this county and purchased twelve hundred acres of land. He passed away in 1868 and was survived by his wife until 1889, her death occurring when she was eighty-eight years of age. They had twelve children, six of whom died in Indiana. Mrs. Brown is the only one now living. Her father gave her two hundred acres of land in Douglas township. After she and Mr. Brown were married they began housekeeping in a little log cabin fourteen feet square and lived in the simplest manner, as did all of the pioneers. Four years later they had prospered so that Mr. Brown was able to build a good stone house, the first on Coon divide. To their union was born a daughter, Elizabeth Olive, whose birth occurred on the 7th of April 1859. She married Dr. F. K. Dabney, by whom she had a daughter, Avo. The latter married T. R. Wilkie and they now live in Grinnell, Iowa. Their two children are: John Brown, who is fifteen years of age; and Gladys Olive, who is twelve years old. The daughter of our subject secured a legal separation from Dr. Dabney and subsequently married William W. Hornbeck. She passed away on the 29th of October, 1884, leaving an infant son, Gaylord.
Mr. Brown took a citizen's interest in good government but was never active in politics, finding that the care of his agricultural and stock-raising interests left him no spare time. He at one time owned as many as seven hundred head of sheep and was one of the most successful men of his county. At the time of his death he left his entire estate to his widow, who also has three hundred acres of land in Douglas township which she rents. She is seventy-six years of age but is still very active and manages her own affairs, displaying excellent business ability. She has lived in the county since pioneer times and both she and her husband contributed to the erection of all the early churches in the county and she has never ceased to feel a deep interest in the community welfare. Her life has benefited the county in many ways and she justly merits the high place she holds in the estimation of all who know her. Mr. Brown was a strictly temperate man and an earnest Christian, holding membership in the Presbyterian church, to which his wife also belongs.
Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915”
__________________________________________________A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1896Transcribed by Kent G. Transier, 30 Dec 2009
John Brown, a retired farmer of Winterset, is one of the pioneers of Madison county, and for upwards of forty years has been prominently connected with the agricultural interests of this part of the State.
Mr. Brown was born in Morrow county, Ohio, January 8, 1826, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Dillon) Brown. Both families were of German lineage. Mr. Brown’s grandfathers were Robert Dillon and Luther Brown. The latter belonged to the old-school Presbyterian Church, and for several years served as one of its elders. Jacob Brown was a native of Pennsylvania, a farmer by occupation, and became one of the first settlers of Morrow county, Ohio. He also was a member of the Presbyterian Church, in which he served as an elder for forty years. In his family were eleven children – six sons and five daughters, - of whom five sons and one daughter are yet living.
Our subject, the eldest son, was reared on a farm and received his education in the commons schools. He remained on the home farm until twenty-one years of age, when he started out in life for himself. In 1854 he came to Madison county, Iowa, and in Madison township purchased 320 acres of land, which he at once began to improve and cultivate. In connection with farming he also engaged extensively in stock-raising, at first making a specialty of cattle and hogs and later gave considerable attention to sheep-raising, having at one time upon his farm a flock of 700 head. For some years he continued to carry on that farm, and then sold it to the firm of Tuttle & Robinson, of Des Moines, for $10,000.
Soon afterward he purchased a farm of 160 acres in Lincoln township, Madison county, adjoining the corporate limits of Winterset. This farm is under a high state of cultivation and is supplied with a good house and buildings for protection of stock. Having a never failing spring of excellent water, it is well adapted for raising stock or for dairy purposes. Mr. Brown has always taken an interest in raising good stock, and has done much toward improving the stock in the county by introducing the best breeds of cattle and horses. In addition to this Mrs. Brown owns a fine farm of 200 acres four miles west of Winterset. About twelve years ago Mr. Brown moved into Winterset, where has since resided, but continued to give his personal supervision to the cultivation and management of his farms until recently, but now rents them for cash.
November 1, 1857, Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Miss Nancy M. Powell, a native of Marion county, Indiana, and daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Conger) Powell. Mr. Powell was born in Brown county, Pennsylvania, in 1796, was of Welsh descent, and Mrs. Powell was born in Essex county, New York, in 1801. He was a farmer, and one of the worthy pioneers of Madison county. In the fall of 1852 they left Indiana and came west to Oquawka, Illinois; in January 1853 removed to Van Buren county, Iowa, and in the spring of 1854 came to Madison county, where he bought and entered 1200 acres of land. Here he successfully engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1868. His wife survived him some years and passed away in 1889. They had a family of twelve children, six of whom died in Indiana. Those who came to Iowa were: David C., a farmer now of Nebraska; Elihu, retired; Sarah J., deceased; Mrs. Brown; and Ruel B., a farmer of Madison county, Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown began their domestic life in a little log cabin fourteen feet square, on the farm above described, in Madison township, when they lived in true pioneer style. Four years later Mr. Brown built a fine stone residence, which was the first stone house erected on the Coon divide. Mr. and Mrs. Brown had one daughter, Olive, born April 7, 1859. On the first of June, 1876, she became the wife of Dr. F. K. Dabney, by whom she had a daughter, Avo, who lives with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and is the joy of the household. After a legal separation from Dr. Dabney, Olive Brown married William W. Hornbeck. She died October 29, 1883, leaving an infant son, Gaylord, now twelve years of age.
As will be seen from the above brief sketch, Mr. Brown has not only witnessed almost the entire growth and development of Madison county, but has been and important factor in assisting to bring about the transformation. He may well be called a self-made man, as he began life almost empty-handed and by honest industry, perseverance, and energy, assisted by his estimable wife, has acquired a handsome competence, enabling him to spend the evening of his life in ease and luxury. He and his wife are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Winterset, and no one is held in higher regard throughout the community than these worthy people. Their beautiful home is the abode of refinement and hospitality.
Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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