Biography of Richard D. Brown, Randolph Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bridgette Cohen Date: 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas Copyrighted and Published 1889 by Goodspeed Publishing Company Richard D. Brown is a member of the law firm of Brown & Black, one of the leading and most influential at the bar of Pocahontas and is a native of Calloway County, Ky., born in the year 1832. He has that case of manner and force of character which make the sons of the Blue Grass State influential wherever they go. Reared to the mysteries of farm life from early youth, he began for himself in this pursuit at the age of seventeen years, and continued until twenty-seven years of age, when he entered the office of Lem Boyd, and there studied law. He was admitted to the bar in October, 1859, at Murray, Ky., and in 1860 went to Metropolis City, Ill., where he located and practiced law for one year. At the breaking out of hostilities he moved back to his native county, and during the war was engaged in contraband trade. When peace was declared he settled in Murray, Ky., and practiced his profession until 1876, when he moved to Randolph County, Ark. Here he has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession ever since. He was first married in 1850 to Miss America Foster, a native of Kentucky (Christian County), and one child was born to this union, Almedia, who is the wife of C. C. Marshal, of Murray, Ky. Mrs. Brown died in April, 1859, at the age of twenty-one years. She was a devoted member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Brown was married the second time, in 1860, to Miss Anna E. Trill. a native of Montgomery County, Tenn., and this union was blessed by the birth of three children: Sallie S., Mary E. and Ruth. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Baptist Church. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and both are much esteemed citizens. Mr. Brown owns about 4,500 acres of land, and is largely interested in the lumber business. He employs from twenty to fifty men, and is doing well at this. He is a Democrat, a leading lawyer and a first-class business man. His parents. Edward S. and Sallie (Card) Brown, were natives of Culpeper County, Va. The father was educated for a surveyor, but finding agricultural pursuits more suited to his tastes, he followed that occupation the principal part of his life. He was reared in Hopkinsville, Ky., and in 1831 emigrated to Western Kentucky, where he settled in Calloway County. There he received his final summons in 1850, at the age of fifty years. The mother died in 1886, at the age of seventy-five years. Both were esteemed members of the Baptist Church. The father was a Whig in politics. and was considered a leader of his party in Western Kentucky. He was a very prominent man. They were the parents of twelve children, six now [p.381] living: Edmond, a farmer, now living in Calloway County, Ky.; Mary J., wife of Cyrus Owen, also in Calloway County; Fannie, wife of W. S. Sled, of the same county; Richard D.; Jane, wife of William H. Daily, of Calloway County, and Sophronia, wife of W. C. Clements, also of that county. The paternal grandfather, Thomas Brown, was a native of Culpeper County, Va., and was a successful tiller of the soil. He settled in Kentucky later in life, and founded the town of Hopkinsville, Ky., in 1812. The maternal grandfather was Edmond Card, who was also a native of Culpeper County, Va. He was a wealthy farmer and a soldier in the War of 1812; was quite active in politics, and was receiver of the land office of Western Kentucky for a number of years. He was also a minister in the Baptist Church.