Dr. John R. Brown
Dr. John R. Brown is the grandson of Joseph Brown and his wife, Margaret, who came here from Virginia about 1797, and about the beginning of the century locating in Rossville. In August, 1800, their son, Israel Brown, was born in that town, and in the Winter of 1801 Mr. Brown died. Eighteen months afterwards his widow married again. Her new husband was John Thompson. In 1804 their son, Joseph Magie Thompson, was born - the year of the great freshet which made the New River. Israel Brown left Butler County at an early age, going to Hamilton County, where he learned the trade of a carpenter. He was three times elected to the Legislature, and was a member of the State Board of Equalization from the day it was formed till the date of his death, which occurred December 16, 1860. He married, in Hamilton, Jane Robinson, who still survives at the age of eighty-two, and resides a quarter of a mile from her old home. They had several children, the only of whom now living in Hamilton is John R. Brown. At the time Mr. Brown moved to Hamilton County his mother and step-father, John Thompson, remained here, where their two children were born. Joseph Magie Thompson, as is said above, was born March 10, 1804. No record exists of Daniel. Mr. Thompson enlisted in the War of 1812 three times, serving throughout the entire struggle. He was captured seven times by the British, and on one occasion was taken with six others. They were given several days in which to swear allegiance to the king of Great Britain, four of the party finally consenting. Mr. Thompson, however, was made of sterner stuff, and with two others, refused to do this, and resolved to escape, which they did. They were three days without any thing to eat, but finally managed to reach the American lines. He was Scotch by birth, as was also his wife, and was a man of wealth for those times, and a prominent pioneer. He died in Hamilton about 1816, his widow surviving him many years. She died in 1862, aged eighty-seven years.
Of his children, Daniel is now residing in Richmond, Indiana, and Joseph magie married, March 8, 1826, Mary Ann Messick, who was born February 10, 1807, in Delaware. They had six children. Theodore was born September 10, 1827, and died in Memphis in 1879. He was a captain of the One Hundred and Seventy-second Regiment, O. V. I., in the late war, under Colonel Luzbeek. Alonzo H. was born May 10, 1829, and resides in Hamilton. He was a soldier of the late war, in Company H, Eleventh Missouri V. I., and served through most of the struggle. He was wounded several times, and at the battle of Atlanta was so badly injured that he was discharged, crippled for life. Freeman B. was born July 29, 1831, and is now a resident of Hamilton. Miles L. was born October 26, 1833, and lives at Columbus, Indiana. He is married. Martha J. was born May 27, 1836, and is the wife of A. J. Graither, and lives in Jersey County, Illinois. Joseph W. was born September 7, 1838, living at East Memphis, Tennessee, and is married.
From A History and Biographical Cyclopædia of Butler County Ohio, With Illustrations and Sketches of its Representative Men and Pioneers, Western Biographical Publishing Company, Cincinnati Ohio, 1882.