Wapello County IA Archives Biographies.....Brown, James De Grush 1846 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 14, 2015, 5:49 pm

Source: See Below
Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher

JAMES DE GRUSH BROWN.
Although a resident of St. Joseph, Missouri, James De Grush Brown at one time
made his home in Ottumwa and is well known here to many of the citizens of
Wapello county, where his brother, Charles P. Brown, still resides. He was born
February 9, 1846, in Le Claire township, Scott county, Iowa, a few miles west of
the Mississippi river, when that district was a pioneer region, the nearest
neighbor living a half mile to the south. Wolves could be heard howling at
night, prairie chickens and other wild game could be had in abundance and
Indians were occasional visitors in the neighborhood. With the usual experiences
of frontier life James D. Brown and the others of the household became familiar.
He had but limited educational privileges, but he was a great reader and in the
school of experience learned many valuable lessons. He spent a few terms in
teaching school in the country districts, and in 1867 he began work for the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co., acting with the locating engineers
on the Iowa & Dakota division. Later he was operator at various stations on the
Iowa & Minnesota division and was agent at Lime Spring for fifteen years.

On the 1st of February, 1889, he entered the service of the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy Railroad as agent at Fairfield and on the 1st of April, 1890, he came
to Ottumwa, where he remained until June 1, 1903. He was very popular as a
citizen of Ottumwa. He possessed the social qualities which brought him warm
regard and the sterling traits of character which enabled him to retain the
friendship of those with whom he was associated. On the 1st of June, 1903, he
became traveling freight agent for the Indiana, Iowa & Illinois Railroad and
that he won advancement is indicated in the fact that in the fall of 1905 he was
promoted to the position of general agent at St. Joseph, Missouri, for the New
York Central lines. His success has been worthily won, and he stands today among
those who control important railway interests, directing mammoth affairs with
the ease and ability that come through long practice and intelligently directed
effort.

In 1862 Mr. Brown enlisted in the Sixteenth United States Regiment of Infantry,
being then sixteen years of age. An acute and serious illness unfitted him for
service and caused his discharge on account of disability a few months later to
his great disappointment and regret. The spirit of patriotism has ever been a
dominant one in his life, however, and has been manifest in support of many
worthy public measures. His business record is a notable and honorable one,
placing him in a distinguished position, where he controls important interests.
Ottumwa remembers with pleasure the period of his residence here, and through
visits to his brother he continues his acquaintance with many of his old-time
friends in Wapello county.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY IOWA
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1914


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