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Brown, William F. (1836-1909)

BROWN

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 11/1/2017 at 21:47:26

BROWN, WILLIAM F., farmer, Sec. 23, Richland Township; P. O. Hartford; born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, Jan. 14, 1836; he came to this county with his parents in 1853; he owns 563 acres of choice land, well improved; he was married May 23, 1858, to Miss Rachel Biers, a native of Summit county, Ohio; they have five children living: Melissa M., Elizabeth, James F., George W. and Rachel, and have lost three: Martha J., Eva and Cora; he has held various township offices of trust, and makes a specialty of raising fine stock; is quite extensively engaged in short horn grades, having about eighty head on hand; he also raises and feeds stock.
Source: History of Warren County, Iowa, containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, & etc., Union Historical Co.; Des Moines, IA, 1879, p.701

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.417
WILLIAM F. BROWN
Agricultural pursuits have always claimed the time and attention of William F. Brown, who is now successfully engaged in the operation of a fine farm on section 14, Richland Township. He dates his residence in Iowa from 1853, and he has made his home in Warren County since the 4th of January,
1854. He has taken an active part in the upbuilding and development of this region, and is justly entitled to mention among its honored early settlers.
Mr. Brown was born near Lafayette in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, January 14, 1836, and is a son of James Brown, who was a native of Kentucky, and at an early day removed with his parents to Ohio, being among the first settlers of Miami County. The home of our subject's paternal grandfather was on the extreme frontier at the time of the war of 1812. On reaching man­hood, James Brown was married in Miami County to Miss Margaret Long, a native of Pennsylvania, and some years later they removed to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, where he opened up a farm. In 1853 he brought his family to Iowa, and the following year located in Warren County, where he purchased five hundred and sixty acres of land, which he broke and cultivated, spending his last years here. He died in 1862, at the age of sixty-six years, and his wife passed away two years later.
William F. Brown was a young man of eighteen years on the removal of the family to this county and he aided his father in the arduous task of develop­ing a new farm, remaining under the parental roof until the father's death. He succeeded to a part of the old home place and has since bought more land, until at one time he had five hundred and sixty acres. Upon the place he has erected a commodious and pleasant residence, good barns, cribs and granaries, has fenced the land and set out fruit, and today has one of the most valuable farming properties in Warren County. He has given considerable attention to the raising of stock, making a specialty of pure blooded shorthorn cattle, French draft horses and Berkshire hogs, and annually feeds a large amount of stock for market. He has divided his property, giving a farm to each of his sons, but is still actively engaged in general farming and stock-raising.
On the 23d of May 1858, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Brown and Miss Rachel Viers, who was born at Akron, Ohio, and is a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Ship) Viers, also natives of the Buckeye state, whence they came to Iowa in 1849, arriving in Warren County on the 2nd of October. Here Mr. Viers bought preemption right, and later entered land from the govern­ment. Mrs. Brown was principally reared in this county.
Of the eight children born to our subject and his wife, four are now living, namely: Elizabeth, the wife of W. A. Spain, a farmer of this county; James F., who owns a part of the old home place; G. W., a farmer of Lincoln township; and Latie, wife of W. F. Park, a farmer of Lincoln township. They also lost four children: Melissa N., the first born, married Thomas Moore and died in 1883, leaving a son, S. G. Moore. Martha J. and Eva both died in infancy and Cora died at the age of five years. Mrs. Brown has also reared two boys and a girl who are now grown, and now has a little girl, Margaret Dubs, whom she intends to rear and educate.
Mr. Brown has never wavered in his allegiance to the Republican Party since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and he has served as a delegate to the state and county conventions of his party. He has also served on juries and has been township trustee and treasurer, as well as school director for twenty years. He is a man of excellent business ability and sound judgment, who usually carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, and he has always been found thoroughly reliable and trustworthy. In religious faith he is a Baptist and now attends church at Hartford.


 

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