Preston County, West Virginia Biography of Joseph G. BROWN This file was submitted by Elizabeth Burns, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 218 Joseph G. Brown, assistant editor of the Preston County Journal at Kingwood has had intermittent associations with the practical side of journalism for a number of years. He has also been a farmer and has usually made a success of whatever he has undertaken. His career is the more interesting because it serves to recall one of the very earliest families of Preston County. His ancestor James Brown, was a native of Ireland and became prominently identified with some of the Irish secret societies against England. This activity becoming known, a reward of 100 pounds was placed upon his head, dead or alive, and he sought safety by fleeing to America. Thus in 1786 only a few years after the close of the Revolution, he established his home in Preston County near Kingwood and his descendants have lived here now for 135 years and through many avenues have contributed to the substantial growth and prosperity of the community. James Brown lived out his life as a farmer at what is still known as the old Brown homestead near Kingwood. This pioneer married Rachel Hawthorne. A brief word of their children is as follows: Robert, who lived at Kingwood and was the grandfather of the late Senator Dolliver of Iowa; Thomas who spent his life at the old homestead; John, who moved to Cincinnati; Joseph who was sheriff of Preston County before the Civil War and also lived at Kingwood; William G. Sr. who became a Kingwood lawyer was for several terms prosecuting attorney, was elected and served several terms in Congress, was first a democrat and then a republican, with rather liberal views and was father of the late William G. Jr. who died while a member of the House of Representatives at Washington. Mrs. Jane Bowen, who left West Virginia and moved to Wisconsin and Anna who married Elisha M. Hagans and moved to Chicago. The second generation in this branch of the family is represented by Joseph Brown who was born at the old homestead at Kingwood and was sheriff of the county and lived a long and useful life here. He died in 1870 at the age of seventy-one. His wife was Mary Stone, who came from the vicinity of Richmond Virginia. Their children were: James W.; Elisha M.; Mrs. Anna M. Elliott and Mrs. Julia R. Smith. James W. Brown who was born at Kingwood, March 30, 1832 took up merchandising and farming as his business vocation, and he was deputy sheriff under his father before the civil war. While in the State Militia he was commissioned colonel and ever afterward was known as Colonel Brown. In 1864 he moved out to Des Moines, Iowa, and for four years was a merchant in that city, as a member of the firm LeBoskett, Rude and Brown. He then returned to West Virginia and his home was on a farm near the old homestead until his death in May 1902. Colonel Brown was a democrat, a member of the Baptist Church, and was affiliated with the Masons and Odd Fellows. He married Miss Martha Brown, who was descended from John C. Brown, a son of the pioneer James Brown. She is still living at Kingwood at the age of eighty-seven. Colonel and Mrs. Brown had five daughters and four sons: Mrs. C.M. Fleek of Janesville Wisconsin; Mrs. John W. McDonald of Tampico Mexico; Mrs. C.F. Copeman of Irwin Pennsylvania; Mrs. B.L. Brown of Kingwood; Albert A. of Albright West Virginia; John C. who died at Rowlesburg in 1912; Miss Emma V. who died in 1915; Joseph G. and Elisha Sargent who is still on the family homestead. Joseph G. Brown, the editor was born at Terra Alta, Preston County, November 12, 1859. From the age of five to nine he was with his parents in Des Moines Iowa and he first attended school there. Most of his early life however was spent on the home farm and he took part in its work. In 1878 at the age of nineteen, he gained his first acquaintance with the printing business with the West Virginia Argus at Kingwood, whose proprietor was the late Henry Clay Hyde. Later he again took up farming for ten years and when he resumed his association with the printing art it was at Philippi and later at Parsons West Virginia. The death of his father in 1902 called him to the management of the home farm. He has been assistant editor of the Preston County Journal since 1918. Mr. Brown who has never married, is a democrat, in line with his ancestry, and cast his first vote for General Hancock for president. He has always been deeply interested in the church of the choice and is an elder in the Presbyterian congregation at Kingwood. ==== WV-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List ==== ********************************************************************** WV-FOOTSTEPS/USGENWEB NOTICE: These messages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. 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