Transcribed by Debbie Woolard
Taken from "The Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope and Hardin Counties"
Published in 1893 by Chicago Biographical Publishing Co.
Hon. William R. BROWN, of the firm of Brown & Bruner, bankers of Metropolis, Ill., was born in Louisville, Ky., in January, 1832. His father William BROWN, was born in Baltimore, Md., and his grandfather, Robert BROWN, was born in England. When a young man Robert BROWN fought a duel and killed his opponent. Previous to leaving his native land he was engaged to a Miss HOAG. She followed him to America and they were married in Baltimore, and spent their lives in that city. They had three children and reared them all. William BROWN, the father of Hon. William R. BROWN, was an only son. He was but six years old when his parents died, and he was reared and cared for by his elder sister. After attaining to manhood he went to Alexandria, Va., where he worked at his trade. He afterward went to Georgetown, D.C. He served in the War of 1812, taking part in the battle of Bladensburg. His wife, then living in Georgetown, witnessed the burning of the Capitol. In 1816, accompanied by his wife, with a pair of horses and a wagon, he started Westward, and made an overland journey to Zanesville, Ohio. Remaining there a short time he bought a keel-boat and started down the Ohio River, and landed at the present site of Cincinnati, intending to make a settlement at that place. He jumped from the keel-boat to land, and unfortunately struck a soft place on the bank and sank waist deep in mud. Concluding that he did not want to locate in such a place as that, he again started down the river, landing at the falls of the Ohio, Louisville being then unknown. He located at Shippen's Point, now included in the lower part of Louisville, purchased real estate there and established a cooper shop. In this business he was successful and accumuluted quite a handsome property. In 1832 the floods washed away his dwelling-house, as well as many other buildings, and nearly ruined him. He then removed to Louisville and was successful there until 1845, when he sold his interests and came to Illinois.
Upon coming to this State, our subject's father located at Metropolis, then but a small village. The country around was but sparsely settled, and most of the land was owned by the Government and selling for $1.25 per acre. There was but little money in circulation and the people lived chiefly on what their lands produced and upon wild game. Deer was plentiful and a saddle of venison could be bought for twenty-five cents. Wild turkeys sold for twelve and a-half cents each. Corn was worth ten cents per bushel and potatoes eight and a-half cents. Wheat was not raised to any great extent, and good flour was shipped here from Ohio, and sold for $1.25 per hundred pounds. The wages of men working on the farm was $4 per month and board. Mr. BROWN, upon arriving at Metropolis, established his cooper shop, employed from thirty to forty men and continued in business until his death in 1859, aged sixty-nine. The maiden name of his wife was Catherine ANDERSON. She was born in Fairfax County, Va. Her ancestors came from Scotland to America with Lord Fairfax. Her father, John ANDERSON, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was born in Virginia, was a farmer and spent his entire life in that state. The maiden name of his wife, grandmother of this sketch, Mary Elizabeth SWINK, a native of Virginia and of German ancestry. The mother of our subject died at Metropolis in 1846. She reared seven of her children: Sarah, John, Elizabeth, George, Alexander, Virginia, and William R.
William R. BROWN, began attending school as soon as large enough, and attended quite steadily in Louisville until the family removed to Metropolis. He returned to Louisville afterward and was in school there one year. When not in school he worked in his father's cooper shop, and learned the trade. Before he was twenty-one he engaged in mercantile business. He was one of the first to espouse the cause of Republicanism in Massac County and was on of the hundred and twenty-two that voted for Lincoln in 1860. After Mr. Lincoln's election, and when the clouds of war hung over the country, he proposed to other gentlemen that a flag be raised, and in consequence a very tall pole of the Union was swung in the breeze. A few days later the Democrats held a meeting and appointed a committee to call upon Mr. BROWN to ask him to take down the flag. The committee called and made the request, explaining, however, that they had no objection to the flag but were afraid the people of Kentucky would consider it a menace. Mr. BROWN replied that it was not the flag of any party, but that it was the flag of Kentucky as well as of Illinois, that it was the flag of his country and that the enemy of the flag was an enemy of his. The flag was not taken down. It swung from the top of that pole until it was worn to pieces by its flapping in the wind, and it was then replaced by another. Upon the breaking out of the war he enlisted as a private soldier in Company A, Twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry, under Capt. Carmichael. At the time of muster he was appointed Quartermaster by Gov. Yates, and forty days afterward he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel and was detailed to assist in raising troops. He assisted in raising the Sixth Illinois Infantry, the Fourteenth Cavalry, the Fifty-sixth Illinois and the One Hundred and Thirty-first Illinois Infantry. He then took command of the Fifty-sixth Illinois. While he was in service four of his children died and his wife was taken sick, and in June, 1863, he very reluctantly resigned to come home to his afflicted family. His resignation was accepted, but as he was in the midst of the Vicksburg campaign he could not get away until the surrender of that stronghold of the rebels. Upon the capitulation of the place he marched into the city at the head of his regiment. He then returned to his home, and for some time was engaged in the manufacture of tobacco, and later in mercantile pursuits.
In 1870 our subject formed a partnership with M. Mayfield and established the bank with which he is now connected. This bank is a solid financial institution and has weathered all financial storms. He has been married twice, first in 1854 to Margaret N. THRIFT, who was born in Smithland, Ky., and was the daughter of P.O. and Margaret (HAGEY) THRIFT. John HAGEY, grandfather of Mrs. Brown, was born in Germany, went from there to France, where he joined LaFayette and as one of his body guard came with him to America and fought with him through the Revolutionary War. At the end of Gen. LaFayette's visit to America in 1825, Mr. HAGEY walked from Huntsville, Ala., to Nashville, Tenn., to meet him, and was warmly greeted by his old commander, who recognized him in the crowd. Later Mr. HAGEY removed to Nashville, and lived there during the later years of his life. Mrs. BROWN'S father for some years kept an hotel in Smithland and afterward in Metropolis. He was also engaged in the grocery business in Metropolis, and in that city lived the last years of life. His wife, the mother of Mrs. BROWN, was of Scotch ancestry. Mrs. BROWN died in 1882, and Mr. BROWN in 1885 married Mrs. Kittie (NOLAN) GLASS, a widow. She was born in Paducah, Ky., and was the daughter of William and Huldah NOLAN.
Mr. BROWN has seven children living by his first wife: Kittie, Maggie, Alice, Ada, William
R., Jr., John T. and Mabel A. Mr. BROWN is a member of Tom Smith Post No. 545, G.A.R., and has been a Republican
ever since the organization of the party, and has always stood high in its councils. He has filed various positions
of trust and honor and was elected to the State Legislature in 1869, and served in four sessions. This was the
first meeting of the Legislature after the adoption of the new constitution, and many important matters were considered
and acted upon. He served on the Committees on Rivers and Canals, and Education, and was Chairman of the Library
Committee. He served ten or twelve years as a member of the Ohio River Commission and was appointed by Gov. Fifer
a delegate to the Nicaragua Canal Convention, which met in St. Louis, and was Chairman of the Committee on Credentials.
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