Benton Co., AR - Biographies - Thomas Gilbert Brown
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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Thomas Gilbert Brown, a prominent farmer, stock raiser and fruit grower 
of Benton County, Ark., was born in Wayne County, N. Y., June 30, 
1827, and is a son of Jesse and Sally (Taylor) Brown. The father was a 
farmer, born on Long Island in 1804, and afterward became a well-to-do 
farmer, stock raiser and saw-mill owner of York State. He was a member 
of the Baptist Church, and died in Fulton County, Ind., in 1846. His 
father, Thomas Brown, was a farmer and a native of France, being a 
schoolmate of the Marquis de La Fayette, of Revolutionary fame. Sally 
(Taylor) Brown was born in New York in 1806, a daughter of Jacob 
Taylor, and a Methodist in her religious views. Thomas Gilbert Brown, 
her son, was taken by his parents to Indiana at the age of thirteen 
years, where he received his education and grew to manhood. He was 
married in 1849 to Nancy Jane Lewis, who was born in Indiana in 1831, 
and died in that State in 1855. Two children were born to this union: 
Sarah Alice, wife of William Fuller, and Leander, residing in Cherokee 
City. Mr. Brown was married to his second wife. Nancy M. Elliott, in 
1855, and by her became the father of eight children: Rebecca A. (wife 
of A. N. Cherry), Jay W., Ida Belle (wife of B. Evans). Amy Dell (wife 
of John Ingalls). Ruth Jane, Ulysses Grant, Lillian and John E. In 
1858 Mr. Brown went to Minnesota, where he resided until 1860, and 
then went to Washington County, Kas. While residing in this place, in 
1862, the Indians made a raid on his stock, and took all that he had. 
He then returned to Indiana, but only remained a short time, when he 
went to Nebraska, taking up the first homestead claim in Jones County. 
They were troubled a great deal by the Indians at first, and Leander, 
the eldest son, was often posted as sentry on the top of their house, 
to watch for their approach. Mr. Brown made his home in Nebraska for 
twelve years, and then located in Benton County, Ark., where he has 
since resided. He has a good farm of fifty-five acres, all under 
cultivation, and an orchard of over 2,000 trees. He is a man who 
commands the respect and esteem of all who know him, and [p.816] he 
and family worship in the Congregational Church. White in New York Mr. 
Brown's father resided about a mile and a half from the Mormon 
prophet, Joseph Smith, and assisted him in digging up the plates from 
which the Book of Mormon is supposed to have been written.