The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-06-19
The Brown Family.

years you have published sketches q
some of the old families of Garrett
county, Maryland. The Stantons, the
Blochers, the Garletz, the bursts and
Others have been written up, but one
of the most widely known and prom.
inent families has not yet been men,
toned. have reference TO the Brown
family. This family, by reason of its
early settlement here, large numbers,
and the fact that most of its members
have remained in this locality, has
become connected by intermarriage
with nearly all of the older families
in the northern part of Garrett coun'
ty. Surely it deserves a, somewhat
extended notice.
Samuel Brown was born near the
head of Elk river, in what is now
Delaware county, Pennsylvania. on
March 10Th, I7T0. Almost nothing
can now be ascertained of his ances-
try. Your correspondent has made
considerable inquiry, but cannot learn
so much as his nationality. Some are
of the opinion that he was Of English
descent, some think his ancestry was
Irish, and others that he was of the
old Gernan stock, long known as
Pennsylvania Dutch. 1t is known
that he was horn in America, and
most likely his parents also, and this
being the case. it is probable that he
was, in this respect, like the great
majority of Americans-of mixed de.
scent. His father died when Samuel
was small boy. He was brought
up by an uncle, receiving, for that
time. a fair education in books and
the trade of carpenter, 1t does not
appear that he ever ventured very
far from his native place until about
the year 1900. At that time he, with
companion named John Bateman,
started out on horseback to the west
ward, intending to visit the country
then known as the Glades, ,-S0mer-
set county, Pa. and some of the sur
rounding country. This trip was en-
tered upon partly for pleasure and
partly. herhaps, with a view to look
ing up a future home, but neither of
the young men intended to make a
permanent stay of it at that time. 1t
is rather remarkable that neither of
them ever saw his native place after.
wards. In the course of their journey
they stopped at place some three
miles from where the town of Somer-
sci now stands. at the residence of a,
Mr.. John Penrod, whether only to
tarry over night or for longer time
does not now appear. Mr.. Penrod
had.two marriagable daughters. The
remainder Of this chapter has been so
frequently rehearsed before that it
were useless to repeat it here.
Young Bateman ana the elder
daughter, and Samuel Brown and
the younger 0ne-named Anywhere
married at just about the beginning
of the present century. The first
housekeeping of the young Brown
family was upon the Lichty farm, on
Castleman river, about two miles
above Meyersdale. They staid here
only three or four years, moving next
some three miles further up The river,
near to where Livengood's mill now
stands. Here Mr.. Brown purchased
a piece Of land, probably his first
home of his own. About the year
1910 they sold out at this point and
moved again, this time to new
place about half way between the
"Stone House" "and "Bruston," other
wise some two miles south of Sails
bury. Here Mr.. Brown purchased
about one hundred acres of land. of
which sixteen acres lay in Pennsyl-
vania and the remainder in Mary
land. Thus it happened that his farm
was divided by the afterwards widely
historic Mason and Dixon's line. The
dwelling was erected on the Mary
land side, and here, during the re.
manning nineteen years of Mr..
Browns life and for many years
afterwards, the atnily resided. Ow-
ing to the restlessness and discomfort
of the American people and their con.
sequent frequent removals from one
place to another, many families are
strangers to those tender memories
which always cluster about an old
family homestead. 1t is said that the
author of "Home Sweet Home" him
self meyer had any home. Surely the
ten sons and daughters of the Brown
family, now IN their turn all gone but
three, should have been able to APP
preciaIe that beautiful hymn. They
had home. AS above noted, Mr..
Brown was by trade carpenter and
builder. He was skilled in his pro-
fessi0n, and like many others who
have tie talent for mechanics strong
~ developed. he took hut little inter.
est in any other Kind Of business. The