The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-31
JOHN BROWNS HOME
Pretty Town of Hudson and
How 1t Figured.
IN STORY OF PATRIOT
Harper's Ferry and Other
Historical Points,


the .dictinction that John Brown, the ia
nous Abolitionist, was one Of its citizens,
despite their pronounced antipathy to
slavery. The time was before the civil
war.
Browns attempt to capture Harper 5
Ferry with a mere handful Of loyal fol-
lowers. with the expectation that the
negroes Of Virginia and the south would
rise and strike for their own freedom,
proved such a miserable and tragical
fiasco that Brown was almost universally
regarded as a crazy man. When he was
captured, desperately wounded, thrown
into jail and execrated by the entire
south, and then hanged on a seaffold, the
north syrnpathized deeply with the old
man, especially the people Of northern
Ohio. but most Of them still regarded
him as insane on the subject of slavery.
At that time Browns home was known
as Hudson, where he had lived the most
and best years Of his life, until a few
wears before he became an open advocate
OF violence to release the slaves, and
gained fame-rather notoriety then-as
"Osawatomie" Brown.
And but a few years after his execution,
inspiration as they marched along, by
singing, John Brown't body lies arnold
erins in the grave" 1t filled them with
patriotism And this story has been sung
ever since all over the north by the people
as a song of patriotism, and probably al
ways viii be sung
The fame Of the man who is sometimes
credited with having done more to bring
On the civil war than any one else has
grown with the passing Of time From
being looked upon as a crank or a crazy
man, Brown grew to be generally re-
garded as patriot, an emancipation of
oppressed mankind, a lover of liberty.
His memory is honored all over the civil
lied world In the art galleries of Eu-
rope hang paintings of him.
The whole nation is proud to claim
Brown, but Hudson has a special claim
on him. and is proud of him. Many books
have been printed about his life and
deeds, and new ones appear every few
years. Browns history is well known,
but not so much has been published about
his career at Hudson.
Although John Brown was not born at
Hudson. he came to that city from Tor
rington, Conn. with his parents when but
five years old, and was reared in Hudson
aud lived there nearly all his life. FITS
father, owen Brown, was one Of the
Western Reserves pioneers and most
worthy man While owen Brown and his
family lived in a number Of houses, on a
number OF farms. as did John Brown ard
his family later. there are but few build
ings vet standing where either the father
or son lvod-possibIy only two-and they
have been considerably altered. But Hud-
son is rich in small relics and traditions
about John Brown. whose contemporaries
in the village have all departed this world.
But few people are now living in Hudson
who were personally acquainted with or
saw John Brown. There are a number
of distant relations of Brown and his two
wives living in hudson and vicinity.
Had Hudson known years ago that
John Brown was TO become so famous
and be a character of history. its people
no doubt would have taken steps to pre-
serve relics Of him-to preserve the
houses in which he lived. When visitor
goes to Hudson nowadays and asks to be
shown one of the places where John
Brown lived, he is generally referred TO
the old Morris Johnson farm, one and
one-half miles northeast of Hudson.
There you viii find a remarkably sub
stantiaI old ana big farm dwelling, con-
sideriuE its age. eighty years or more.
It is said Owen Brown built this dwelling.
Anyhow, Owen Brown and his family
lived there for years. and owen Brown
established the famous Brown tannery
few hundred feet from tho house. John
Brown and his family later lived in the
house. and John Brown ran the tannery.
Since Browns time. the tannery has
burned down two or three times. Not a
vestige of it remains. hut pile Of stones
some distance from the site.
one Visits the dwelling Of historical
interest with a feeling almost of veuera-
ton. The big frame house Of two stories
and garnet was large. even before Is was
remodeied by the late Morris Johnson.
twenty-five years ago. The main part Of
the building is Just rs it was in Browns
time, and ii then had ten large rooms.
The aged widow Of the late Morris
johnson pleasantly greeted the Leader
men when they visited the house, and
gave them the freedom OF the place TO
take photographs. but confessed that she
was not familiar with. the house as relat-
ng To the history of the Browns. She
conducted the visitors through the main
part of the house. which was never alter
ed even 10 door latches She made them
take hold of the latohes in passing from
room TO room and then humorously re-
marked
There You can now say that your hand
touched the door latch that John Brown
touched hundreds CT times"
In The yard is a great oak tree, which
one likes TO fancy was planted by John
Brown: also a deep and old well. which
one likes 20 think he dug.
The old Moses Curtis house near Hud-
son Is also pointed out as one Of the
dwelling places Of John Brown
Facing the park in Hudson is a large
old frame structure. known as the Ober-
lin church II seems that long before the
civil war, split occurred in the Hudson
Congregational church over the slavery
question. and the radical anti-slavery
members LETT the church. and. forming a
new congregation. built this frame struc-
ture, which was known as the OberIin
church Later il was used As q meeting
place for citizens. and still later as a
Methodist church. This rickety old strac-
ture Is pointed out as a place where John
Brown made his anti-slayery speeches.
In log schoolhouse that stood IN the
park. Br.wn made his first declaration to
fight slavery
In the old oomtery OF Hudson a relic
OF the Brown family. are the graves on
the Owen Brown family lot. with plain.
ffnle-yVor-u heaEsf0ues They sra rha