The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-09-27
PIONEER OF COUNTY
CALLED TO BEYOND
JAMES BROWN DIED RECENT.
LY IN THE EAST
Formerly Resided In Napoleon
And Amboy; Was Man Of
Sterling Worth
TMAPLEToN ENTERPRISE

early settlers of Mapleton and ST
Clair as Jim" Brown, passed ava!
Sunday evening at the home of hi:
son at Garden City, Long Island, New
York. The deceased was. the real life
of Mapleton in it's early days. HI
came here about fifty years ago from
Winnebago Agency where he had beer
conducting store, realizing that with
the coming of the railway MapletoI
was destined to become thriving
place. Here he opened little store
which year after year expanded until
it was one of the largest stores in the
county He had as his associates the
late James e. Wishart and also Robert
Orr who is now in the wholesale gro
Gerry business at Bismarck, North. Da-
kota.
Most Popular Citizen.
Mr.. Brown was without doubt the
most popular citizen Mapleton has
ever known. He was the friend of all
and in his makeup had burst of sun
shine that made everyone happy
while in his presence. He simply "a
dated sunshine and goodwill and more
than one home was helped and encour-
aged in the pioneer days by his kind
ness and beneficence. Later he en-
tered the banking business with Mr..
Corliss Of Ripon, Wisconsin. In this
he also prospered and with deposits
at a high mark he made investments
in the west on which he could not
realize when the hard nes of 1893
put in their appearance His bank in
company with others was unG5le to
meet it's obligations II appealed to
the creditors to continu. he bank, to
hold on to the investments made in
the west. He was sure that they would
inevitably more than pay out. With
hundreds of creditors this viewpoint
could not be seen by al.,and the bank
was forced into liquidation with the
result that Mr.. Browns fortune as well
as some of his. friends. was swept
away. Had the land been held SUBJ
sequent events have shown that it
would have paid out very literally to
all concerned.
Became Newspap Man.
With the closing of l. bank and
the death of Mrs. Brown which follow
ed Mr.. Brown broken in spirit and in
health went east to live with his son
remaining for time ia Milwaukee
and Boston. The environment was not
to his liking. He wanted to be among
the old friends and accepting a posi-
ton in The Enterprise office he came
back to Minnesota and after few
months took hold of The, Amboy
Herald which he conducted for a num-
Der of years and finally purchased
While conducting this ',lication he
remarked, his second being Mrs
Nellie Hilton of ST. With hap
py home surrounding ie continued
the business as lone his health
would permit finally :. ,sing of the
same to the late E. r. .iller., Even
after selling out he evidence an in
terest in the business and Frequently
contributed to, the columns of tho pub
lication., Then there came another
break in the chain of lifa, with the
death of Mrs. Brown. Sc ;
Home Broken. SecondlTimsk
His home broken up foH "a accnd
time Mr.. Brown again re- lp 49,.
to make his home wy a. son
Charles. AT Garden Cit rs iifound
ideal surroundings, in tsis D. fa!autiful
suburb of New York. Plenty OF room,
a large garden in. whic, r spend his
leisure time. congenial I, ,ghbors and
his last years were indeed happy ones.
While living in Mapleton Mr.. Brown
took great interest in Masonry and
was very active ma. N. Having
been in his young manhood an opera
tive mason it was but natural that he
should evidence more than ordinary
interest in the speculative side of
masonry dealing with higher life and
the proper conduct of man here upon
earth. ~
Worked In Nj alto.
Mr.. Brown when t------st came to
this county worked in operative
mason with Robert Ind William
Roberts and among their first work
was the building of MaStfato's first
Presbyterian church, thay-old wooden
mill and the Bierbauenibrewery. He
was an excellent woI IL but saw
greater possibilities in .ne mercantile
business and right afte- the Civil war
opened little store Winnebago
agency. With the an. ..ncement that
the Southern Minnesota railway was
surveyed through Mapleton he came
here and was one of the first officers
of this village. He was also one of
the first officers of the school district
and had hand in building the present
high schools building. In fact it is
doubtful if any other man had more
to- do with laying the foundation of
this prosperous community than did
James e. Brown.
Was Along In Years.
The deceased was born in the town.
ship of Dalhousie, County Of Lanark,
Ontario, November 81, 1881. and was
therefore almost eighty seven years
of age. His parents were both born.
in Scotland, and it was quite natural
that he should. have been an active
spirit in the Burns club which has
never skipped an observation of the
ploughboy,s birthday in more than
half a century. His parents came to
Canada in 1920 where as above stated
Mr.. Brown was born being the eldest
Of the family which consisted of three
sons and daughter The father
was engaged in the luI isr business
and while away from h y on one of
his trips. was taken i'll HE'D very
suddenly of pneumonia.
Being but five years. ge at that
time he went to live wi,ssiS.AI uncle in
st. Lawrence coun New York
where. he remained ui1ssf;FiseeA reached
his seventeenth birthd b cking ND
what education he cor. !. He. then
accepted the advice of Horace Greeley
and set his eyes westward with. the