My Genealogy Hound

BROWN, JOHN, farmer and stock raiser, Sec 4, P.O. Carrollton. Mr. Brown not only takes a leading position as an agriculturist but ranks among our wealthy pioneers; he was born in Indiana on the 1st of May, 1814. In early infancy his father departed to that bourne from whence no traveler ever returns; disheartened, the mother and her children removed to Kentucky where many years of her life were spent. During the year 1828, when Illinois was a far western point, Mrs. Brown, in order to give her children a start in the world, migrated to Greene County settling on the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch; here this energetic lady settled down to the hard task of making a comfortable home. Mrs. Brown was a native of North Carolina. A most kindly woman of large loving sympathies and kindly disposition, she merited the respect of her pioneer neighbors. John grew to maturity a hardy youth, possessed of more than ordinary energy; a hard worker he pushed forward, hopefully looking forward to a bright future. In his twenty-second year he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Landis, a daughter of Isaac Landis; he was then the owner of 240 acres of improved lands, these comprised part of the property he now owns. In those primitive days his grist, brought to horse or watermill for grinding necessitated a considerable waste of time. The habits of the pioneer and his family were extremely simple. The neighbors, oftentimes many miles away, when they met at a raising or meeting a friendly greeting was always in order. We now turn to the subject under consideration; step by step John accrued property and wealth as the county grew older and became more densely populated. A representative of the early pioneer and of the farmer of today; he is the owner of 920 acres of valuable land in one of the best townships in the County of Morgan. Of this marriage eight children were born, Frances, Esther A., John L., Jane, Taylor, Mary, and Alice.