The beautiful precinct of Golconda, with its well-watered fields and meadows, its rolling surface and fine woodland, is the home of many wealthy, thrifty and intelligent farmers, and in this respect none are more prominent than Charles Brown, whose farm is advantageously located and well watered, and comprises one hundred and sixty acres, and is so tilled as to produce most prolifically. He was born on this farm in 1842, his father, William Brown, having been born near Pittsburgh, Pa., about 1790. He ran a keelboat on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, and would walk back to Pittsburgh. He was married three times, his second wife, who was the mother of the subject of this sketch, being Grissie Cowsert, a native of the Isle of Erin, and she bore her husband four daughters and three sons: Mary, widow of William Belford, who resides near Golconda; Margaret, who died in 1880, aged about forty-eight years, the wife of W. F. Gullett; William, who was killed in Golconda in 1863, when in the prime of life; Sarah, wife of Isaac Flick, a farmer near Golconda; Lucinda, wife of Gordon Belford; Henry R., who farms a part of the old homestead; and Charles. The mother of these children died about 1850, aged sixty years. She was twice married and bore her first husband six children, of whom Thomas Fulkerson, now living at about the age of eighty years, is the eldest.
William Brown became a resident of Illinois about 1820, and first settled in Hardin County, and after his marriage with Mrs. Fulkerson he settled on the land on which the subject of this sketch now lives, where he died in 1855, aged sixty years. His first wife bore him one son, who is now dead. Charles Brown only attended school a short time in his youth, as his services were required on the farm when he was very young, but while attending the old-time subscription schools he learned to read, write and cipher. The building in which he pursued the paths of learning was a log structure with puncheon floor and seats, and lighted by a window nearly the length of the house and about ten inches wide, and which had to be left wide open at all times in order to furnish the necessary amount of light. A plank, supported by pins underneath, served as a writing desk. The room was heated by a huge fireplace made of stone. On the 5th of May, 1864, Charles Brown enlisted in Company G, Sixth Illinois Cavalry, his commanding officer being Capt. Glass, and in November, 1865, he was mustered out of the service as Third Corporal. He was in the battle of Harrison Creek and fought Hood from Nashville. He possessed a strong constitution, and bore the hardships of army life well. He was first married May 3, 1866, to Miss Marv Jane Weekley, who died without issue July 7, 1877, when about thirty years of age. His present wife was formerly Miss Sarah M. Floyd, to whom he was married November 27, 1877, she being a daughter of David A. Floyd. Their union resulted in the birth of two sons and two daughters. Lily died in infancy; Lena died at the age of three years; William is a bright little lad of thirteen years; and Eugene F. is a promising boy of eleven years. Both of the latter are attending school. Mr. Brown has always been a Republican of a pronounced type, and although by no means an aspirant for office, he has held with ability the positions of Road Commissioner and School Director. His attention has been chiefly given to the proper management of his farm, which he devotes to the raising of the usual grain products and domestic animals sufficient for home use. He is progressive, industrious and intelligent, and is in every way deserving of the success which has attended his efforts. He is a member of Golconda Post No. 332, G. A. R., and he and his wife are worthy communicants of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which they are liberal supporters and active workers.
Extracted from Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope, and Hardin Counties, Illinois, published in 1893, page 567
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