Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Brown, Thomas A. 1823 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com November 25, 2005, 5:31 pm Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882) HON. THOMAS A. BROWN.—Whose portrait appears in this work, 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 and settled at Martinez, where he has ever since resided. During the year 1849, he, his brother Warren, and brother-in-law N. B. 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: Extracted from: HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION; TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE; ALSO, Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN; AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC. ILLUSTRATED. SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS 1882. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/contracosta/bios/brown25bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 8.6 Kb