Source: History of Boone County, Indiana, by Hon. L.M. Crist, 1914.
JOHN T. BROWN One of the most difficult literary tasks is to
write an unexceptionable
chronicle of a living man. If the life is worthy of record there
is always danger of
offending that delicacy which is inseparable from merit, for even
moderate praise, when
it meets the eyes of its subject is apt to seem fulsome, while
a nice sense of propriety
would not be the less wounded by a dry abstract containing nothing
but names and dates.
To sum up a career which is not yet ended would appear like recording
events which
have not transpired, since justly to estimate the scope and meaning
of a history it is
important that we have the closing chapter. In writing biographical
notice, therefore, the
chronicler from the moment he takes up his pen should consider
the subject as no longer
among his contemporaries, for thus he will avoid the fear of offending
by bestowing
praise where it is merited and escape the risk of giving but a
fragmentary view of that
which must eventually be taken as a unit. At some risk, therefore,
the writer in this
connection addresses himself to the task of placing on record
the life and character of a
man who, by the force of strong individuality, has achieved more
than ordinary success in
the world's most important field of endeavor--agriculture, and
by sheer force of
individuality has won for himself an enviable position among the
leading citizens and is
the most influential politician of the locality honored by his
citizenship. This word setting
has to do with John T. Brown, of Clinton township, Boone county,
Indiana.
Mr. Brown was born in Center township, this county, September
17, 1870, and is a scion
of one of our sterling old families, being a son of George W.
and Martha E. (Toone)
Brown, both natives of the state of Kentucky, the father born
in the year 1820 and the
mother's birth occurred in 1826. They grew to maturity in the
old Blue Grass state,
received such educational advantages as the early day schools
afforded and there they
were married and established their home, but removed to Indiana
in 1854 and located in
Center township, Boone county, and here became well established
on a good farm.
John T. Brown grew to manhood on his father's farm and there
assisted with the general
work when a boy until he was eighteen years of age. He attended
the public schools and a
private school in Kentucky, but the major portion of his education
has been obtained in
later years by wide and persistent home study and by contact with
the world until he is
today an exceptionally well informed man. When young in years
he began life for
himself by engaging in farming with his brother-in-law, Sid Fielder.
In 1898 he
purchased forty acres in Perry township, Boone county. It was
improved land and he
went in debt for it. Going to work with a will and managing well
he made a success in
operating this land and in due course of time was out of debt.
In 1902 he traded for eighty
acres in Clinton township to which he removed. It was a well improved
place, on which
stood a good brick house and substantial outbuildings; the land
was also well tiled. Mr.
Brown has made other improvements and now has one of the choice
farms of the
township, which he is managing in a highly satisfactory manner,
carrying on general
fanning and stock raising, especially hogs. He believes in keeping
everything about his
place in ship-shape and in farming under twentieth century methods.
Mr. Brown was married November 28, 1891 to Cora Underwood,
who was born April 28,
1875. She is a daughter of Gideon and Eliza Ann (Neal) Underwood,
both natives of
Jennings county, Indiana, where they spent their earlier years,
but removed to Boone
county in an early day. The death of the mother occurred in 1900,
but Mr. Underwood is
living in Madison, this state.
Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, namely:
Lillian E., born April 29,
1892, married Oren Eaton, a farmer of Clinton township, Boone
county, and they have
three children, Melvin, John M., and Elwood; Randall E., born
March 15, 1894; Gladys
J., born April 16, 1896, married Jesse Hoffman, a farmer of Clinton
township, this
county, and they have one child, Flora L.; George G., born January
25, 1898; Annie A.,
born September 2, 1900; Ester S., born December 23, 1904; Bernice,
born June 18, 1906;
Milo T., born February 14, 1910; and Neal, born September 20,
1913. These children are
all living at home with the exception of the two married daughters.
Politically, Mr. Brown is a stanch Democrat and has long been
an active worker in the
ranks and one of the local leaders in public affairs. He is now
incumbent of the office of
township assessor, the duties of which he has most faithfully
discharged, and in the
campaign of 1914 was a popular candidate for the office of county
recorder on the
Democratic ticket, and his election was predicted by all from
the first owing to his
popularity and high standing as a citizen. Fraternally, he belongs
to the Modern
Woodmen of America, and he and his wife are active members of
the Christian church, in
which he has been a deacon for a period of thirteen years, and
was superintendent of the
Sunday school for five years. He and Mrs. Brown are excellent
people, hospitable,
neighborly and are well liked by all who know them.
BROWN EATON FIELDER HOFFMAN NEAL TOONE UNDERWOOD
Submitted by Amy K Davis
