Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/551

 COLUMBIA AXD MONTOUR COUNTIES umbia county, rinding this unsuitable for farming he .sold it and bought four hundred acres .about one mile south of Mifflinville, in Mifflin township, for which he paid atout four thousand dollars. There M r. Brown continued to reside until his death, which occurred Sept. 24. 18 19, and he was one of the leading men o f his section in his day. H e built a grist and saw mill along what was known as the Ten M ile run, and followed milling and farming. F o r many years he was a justice of the peace, bring elected in 1808, and serving until his death. He was treasurer of the .Nescopeck Bridge Company a l Berw ick, Pa., as is shown by a share o f stock, No. 105, dated A u g. 6, 1S 14, which came into the possession o f his gre.at-grandson, Hiram H. Brow n, o f Scott township. Columbia county. H is five children were all bom to his first marriage, namely: Jam es, bom Sept. 10, 177 3 (* and Elizabeth, twins, to rn March 30. 1782, the fom ier o f whom m arried Josejih Otto, and moved to M cKean county, i ’a.. where she died .April 29. 1862, while Elizabeth married George H ess and set­ tled in Benton township, Columbia county, where she died, Oct. 2 1, t 8 w; and Sarah. Iiorn .pril 13, 1787. w ife o f Henr)- Bowman < she live«l and died in Mifflin township. Columbia county, passing aw ay Sept. 12,

i8to). The early memtors of the Brown family in this region were Methodists, and were among the principal founders of the early Methmlist c o n g r ^ t io n at Mifflinville, the first Methodist church o f this district being erected on ]iari o f John Brow n's farm, he donating the land. Many o f his descendants are associated with the same denomination. Samuel Brow n, grandfather o f Dr. John J . Brow n, w as to m .April 2, 1778, in W arren county. N. J ., and came thence to Columbia county. Pa., with the rest of the family. Upon his father's death he inherited the homestead la tract o f 130 acres which w as in the family for over one hundred y e ars), together witn two other farm s and the mills. H e cultivated that place, and also engaged in grist and saw milling, until his death, which occurred when he w as in his prime. Oct. 12, 1823. T o him and his w ife Dorothy (N ic e ), a native of N ew Jersey, were to m nine children: John, bom Ja n. 13, 18 0 1. died Feb. 2 1. 18 5 5; Mar)M arrarct, bom M arch 13 . 1803, m arried Sam ­ uel C re asy; Sarah, to m A pril 29, 1805, ried George A . Bowman, and died Aug. 15, 1856^ W illiam N .. to m Feb. 15, died Sept. 17, 18 7 6; Matthew, bom Ju n e 1 1, 1809.

175

died Ju n e 25. 18 14; Jam es, to m Oct. 18. 1 8 1 1, died Jan. 5. 1 8 3 3; Elizabeth, to m March 5. 18 14 . n urried .Alexander Thompson, of Ber­ wick (he died before h e r ); George B., born Sept. 3. i8 t6, died at D anville: Ehsha B. was the father o f Dr. John J. The parents are buried in the Brown ccmctcr>- in Nlifflin town­ ship. M rs. Brown w as to m N ov. 6, 1783, ami died Feb. 23. 1847. She belonged to a family o f Nices living near the Delaware W ater Gap. Elisha B. Brown, youngest son of the family o f Samuel and Dorothy (N ice) Brow n, was bom M ay 13. 18 19 . on the Brown farm near Mifflinville. In 1837, when a youth o f only eighteen, he engaged in the mercantile business at that place in partnership with Samuel Creasy and John Brown, under the fimi lum e o f Brow ns & Creasy. T hey purchased the business o f Robert M cCurdy. |>aying seven thousand dollars for it, and were themselves highly successful, drawing thcir patronage from a wide area. John Brown died in 1856 and was succeeded by N. B. Creasy, the style changing to Creasys & Brown. In 1873 Samuel Creasy died and in 1882 M r. Elisha B. Brown retired, after forty-four years' continuous con­ nection with the business, which then passed into the exclu.sive control o f N. B. Creasy. The firm alw ays had the highest standing for substantial worth. During H arrison’s administration Mr. Brown was appointed postnuster at Mifflin­ ville. and with the exception o f six months continued to fill that office, a s principal or as­ sistant, until his death, Sept. 23, 1885—a pe­ riod o f over forty years. Though alw ays an active business nun Mr. Brown found tinie for reading and study, and his good judgment nude him a keen observer and broad-minded on all questions. H is counsel w as frequently sought, and his opinions highly valued. Loyal to his friends, and a man o f high principle in all the relations o f life, he merited the regard in which he was held. In religious connection he w as a Methodist, and took an active part in the w ork of the church. In 1845 Elisha B. Brown married Martha B ow nun, daughter o f John H. and Sophia (F re a s) Bowman. M rs. Brow n’s mother dy­ ing when she was a child, she went to live with her maternal grandfather, John F reas, near Briarcreek, Columbia county. In 1837 her fa­ ther went to Michigan and liccamc interested in business there, engaging in merchandising and building sex-cral laigc flouring mills. He was one of the founders of the village of Colon and of the town o f Three Rivers. H e