Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Brown, Thomas Allen October 16, 1823 - August 5, 1889
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Steve Harrison raleighwood@juno.com February 14, 2009, 7:49 am

Author: W. A. Slocum & Company ?

HON. THOMAS A. BROWN. Whose portrait appears in this work [on page 56], was 
born on the 16th day of October, 1823, in Greene county, State of Illinois, is 
the eldest of four children of Elam Brown and his wife Sarah. During his 
infancy the family moved to Morgan county, Illinois, where they settled on a 
farm about ten miles west of Jacksonville. The family resided there until the 
year 1837, when they moved to Platte county, Missouri, where they settled on a 
farm near the town of Weston. During the years 1842 and 1843 the subject of the 
settlement of the country about the mouth of the Columbia river in Oregon, and 
emigration to California and other places west of the Rocky mountains was 
beginning to be agitated, and in May, 1843, T. A. Brown joined a party of 
emigrants and crossed the mountains to Oregon; he arrived at the Willamette 
Falls late in the Fall of that year. On that journey the party suffered many 
annoyances and privations not common to travelers of the present day who cross 
the plains from the Missouri river to the Pacific Ocean. The band in 1843 
started from Westport, near the western line of Missouri. After crossing the 
west boundary of Missouri the country was entirely uninhabited by white people 
to Fort Laramie; at that place, which was on the route, there were a few 
traders. Hence they proceeded to Fort Bridger, from there to Fort Hall, and 
thence to Fort Boise near the Grand Round valley on Snake river, which was an 
unbroken wilderness. A few trappers were at Fort Bridger, a few others at Fort 
Hall and a few at Fort Boise, and Dr. Whitman and some others at Walla Walla, 
were the only white people found on the route from the Missouri line to Fort 
Vancouver. There were plenty of Indians, but not generally troublesome. At that 
time Oregon was considered to be about as far away from other civilized society 
as it was possible to get. There were then a few hundred white people, 
generally very good people, in what is now the State of Oregon. To illustrate 
the condition of things then, the only regular communication with the United 
States was by sailing vessels or by the annual immigration. Messengers bearing 
news required about six months to make the trip in one direction or twelve 
months to get word in return. 

The people who went across the mountains in 1843 left Missouri in May of that 
year. The nominations of candidates for President and Vice-President were not 
made until afterwards ; it was not known by them who was nominated or elected 
until late in the Fall of the year 1844, so that they did not learn who had 
been elected President until six or seven months after Mr. Polk had been 
inaugurated in that office. While in Oregon Mr. Brown resided the greater 
portion of the time at Oregon City, and was engaged chiefly in the business of 
surveying and as civil engineer. He surveyed a great number of claims for 
settlers in different parts of the territory, and also several town sites, 
among others that of Portland, now the principal city in the State. The survey 
of that place was made about the year 1844, and while making which the workmen 
were compelled to live in a tent which they placed on the bank of the river, 
there being no house whatever at the place none had ever been erected where the 
city now is. During the early part of the year 1847, Mr. Brown came to 
California on a visit to see his father and family, who had crossed the plains 
during the Summer of the year 1846, and then resided at the mission of Santa 
Clara. He remained in California a few weeks; then returned to Oregon, for the 
purpose of closing up business, intending to return to California. While making 
preparations to return to this State, news of the discovery of gold at Sutter's 
Mills was conveyed to Oregon, and resulted in a general rush from that country 
to this. Our subject came by sea, and by reason of bad weather the vessel did 
not arrive until the commencement of the winter season in the Fall of 1848. He 
remained during the Winter at the mission of San Jose. In the Spring of the 
year 1849, with a party, he went into the mines where he remained but a few 
months, when he returned arid settled at Martinez, where he has ever since 
resided. During the year 1849, he, his brother Warren, and brother-in-law N
[apoleon] B[onaparte] Smith, engaged in the mercantile business which they soon 
abandoned. During the same year Mr. Brown was appointed Alcalde of the District 
by the then Governor of California. He held that office until the organization 
of the county government in April, 1850, when he was elected County Clerk and 
Recorder, and held that office until 1855, when he retired from that position 
and was elected Supervisor and held that office for one year. 

During his term of office as Clerk he commenced the study of law and was 
admitted to practice as attorney and counsellor in the District Court in the 
year 1855. Soon after he entered into active practice.  In 1860 he was licensed 
to practice in the Supreme Court and the several Courts of the State as 
attorney and counsellor-at-law. About the same time he was also admitted to 
practice in the United States District and Circuit Courts of this State. He 
continued in the practice until the first of January, 1880, when he was elected 
and qualified as Judge of the Superior Court, when he gave up the practice 
entirely. He was elected County Judge in 1856, and continued in that office 
until January, 1864. 

At a meeting of the members of the Bar in open Court, at the Court House in 
Martinez, on Thursday, December 10, 1863, the following preamble and 
resolutions were unanimously adopted, and on motion were entered in the 
minutes: 

"In County Court, State of California, Contra Costa county, Hon. Thomas A. 
Brown, presiding, December 10, 1863. 

"WHEREAS, Hon. Thomas A. Brown being about to retire from the Bench, we, the 
members of the Bar deem it just and respectful to express and record our 
appreciation of the integrity and ability with which, during the last eight 
years, he has discharged the various duties which have devolved upon him as the 
Judge of this Court ; therefore 

"Resolved, That it is the unanimous sentiment of the members of this Bar, that 
Hon. Thomas A. Brown, during a continuous term of eight years in the official 
capacity of Judge of this Court, has earned for himself the reputation of an 
urbane, able and upright Judge. 

"Resolved, That it is the unanimous request of the members of this Bar that the 
foregoing proceeding, preamble and resolutions be entered in the minutes of 
this Court." 

In 1865 he was elected to the Assembly, and served during the sessions of the 
Legislature for 1865-6, and for the years 1867-8. 

In the Session of 1865-6, Judge Brown was Chairman of the Judiciary in the 
Assembly, and the next Session had the Republican nomination for the United 
States Senate, when Eugene Casserly was elected. 

In January, 1874, he was appointed County Judge to fill the vacancy caused by 
the death of Judge Lander. On the expiration of the term he was elected County 
Judge, and held that office until the first of January, 1880, when he became 
Judge of the Superior Court. While he held the office of County Judge, his 
practice as attorney was confined to business in the District Courts, the 
Supreme Court and the Federal Courts. 

Additional Comments:
History of Contra Costa County, California 
San Francisco:  W.A. Slocum & Company, 1882
Page 531-534

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