HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY, 1911
Hosmer A. Brown, one of the substantial and honored citizens of Mower County, and after whom the thriving village of Brownsdale was named, was born in North Stonington, Conn., September 30, 1830, son of Matthew and Lucy (Denison) Brown, natives of the Nutmeg state, who lived on an old homestead, which had been held within the family since the first settlement of Stonington. The property is still in the family. The parents lived on this farm until their death, the mother dying in 1849 and the father in 1860. They raised a family of four children, three boys and one girl, Hosmer A. being the youngest.
He received his education in the common schools and then learned the carpenter trade. In the fall of 1851, Mr. Brown went by the way of the Isthmus to California and engaged in mining for a period of two years, after which he received contracts for erecting government buildings at Fort Point, San Francisco. He followed this business until the spring of 1855, when he took passage on board the steamer "Golden Age" for home. When within 300 miles of Panama and off the coast of Kakera the vessel struck a reef and stove a hole in her bow. The vessel was run ashore but soon filled with water and sank on the beach. Mr. Brown, having had experience in making pumps and draining mines in California, was employed by the captain to assist in stopping the leaks and getting the vessel afloat, which was accomplished on the ninth day, after which they set sail for the British dry docks on the island of Toboga. For his services, Mr. Brown received from the steamship company $500.00 in the way of a donation. After remaining thirty days on the island he crossed the Isthmus and came on the steamer "Illinois", from there to his home in Connecticut, where he spent the summer.
In the fall Mr. Brown started for Kansas. On reaching Ft. Dec Moines, Ia., he heard so much of the troubles there that he changed his mind and came to Minnesota, arriving at Spring Valley, Fillmore County, December, and there spent the winter. In April 1856, he, in company of his brother, Andrew D., who had come from Connecticut that spring, came to Red Rock Township, this county, Hosmer A. entering the northeast quarter of section 9 with a land warrant given his father for services in the war of 1812. He also bought of a Norwegian the southeast quarter of section 9. Mr. Brown and his brother, together with John L. Johnson, were the original proprietors of the townsite of Brownsdale, where Mr. Brown's brother erected one of the first sawmills in Mower County.
In the fall of 1870 Mr. Brown was elected to the legislature and served that term. The same year he secured the location of the Southern Minnesota R.R. at Brownsdale.
Hosmer A. Brown was married in St. Paul January 1, 1870, to Mary L. Frink, born in North Stonington, Conn., her parents being Joseph and Lucy (Billings Coals) Frink, natives of Connecticut. The father was a soldier of the war of 1812. The mother died in 1866, age 66. The father died in 1871 while visiting his son-in-law, Dr. William A. Babcock, in Illinois. Mrs. Brown received her education at the Suffield Literary Institute, at Suffield, Conn.
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Buried next to his wife Mary L. (Frink) Brown
Hosmer A. Brown, one of the substantial and honored citizens of Mower County, and after whom the thriving village of Brownsdale was named, was born in North Stonington, Conn., September 30, 1830, son of Matthew and Lucy (Denison) Brown, natives of the Nutmeg state, who lived on an old homestead, which had been held within the family since the first settlement of Stonington. The property is still in the family. The parents lived on this farm until their death, the mother dying in 1849 and the father in 1860. They raised a family of four children, three boys and one girl, Hosmer A. being the youngest.
He received his education in the common schools and then learned the carpenter trade. In the fall of 1851, Mr. Brown went by the way of the Isthmus to California and engaged in mining for a period of two years, after which he received contracts for erecting government buildings at Fort Point, San Francisco. He followed this business until the spring of 1855, when he took passage on board the steamer "Golden Age" for home. When within 300 miles of Panama and off the coast of Kakera the vessel struck a reef and stove a hole in her bow. The vessel was run ashore but soon filled with water and sank on the beach. Mr. Brown, having had experience in making pumps and draining mines in California, was employed by the captain to assist in stopping the leaks and getting the vessel afloat, which was accomplished on the ninth day, after which they set sail for the British dry docks on the island of Toboga. For his services, Mr. Brown received from the steamship company $500.00 in the way of a donation. After remaining thirty days on the island he crossed the Isthmus and came on the steamer "Illinois", from there to his home in Connecticut, where he spent the summer.
In the fall Mr. Brown started for Kansas. On reaching Ft. Dec Moines, Ia., he heard so much of the troubles there that he changed his mind and came to Minnesota, arriving at Spring Valley, Fillmore County, December, and there spent the winter. In April 1856, he, in company of his brother, Andrew D., who had come from Connecticut that spring, came to Red Rock Township, this county, Hosmer A. entering the northeast quarter of section 9 with a land warrant given his father for services in the war of 1812. He also bought of a Norwegian the southeast quarter of section 9. Mr. Brown and his brother, together with John L. Johnson, were the original proprietors of the townsite of Brownsdale, where Mr. Brown's brother erected one of the first sawmills in Mower County.
In the fall of 1870 Mr. Brown was elected to the legislature and served that term. The same year he secured the location of the Southern Minnesota R.R. at Brownsdale.
Hosmer A. Brown was married in St. Paul January 1, 1870, to Mary L. Frink, born in North Stonington, Conn., her parents being Joseph and Lucy (Billings Coals) Frink, natives of Connecticut. The father was a soldier of the war of 1812. The mother died in 1866, age 66. The father died in 1871 while visiting his son-in-law, Dr. William A. Babcock, in Illinois. Mrs. Brown received her education at the Suffield Literary Institute, at Suffield, Conn.
--------------------------------
Buried next to his wife Mary L. (Frink) Brown
HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY, 1911
Hosmer A. Brown, one of the substantial and honored citizens of Mower County, and after whom the thriving village of Brownsdale was named, was born in North Stonington, Conn., September 30, 1830, son of Matthew and Lucy (Denison) Brown, natives of the Nutmeg state, who lived on an old homestead, which had been held within the family since the first settlement of Stonington. The property is still in the family. The parents lived on this farm until their death, the mother dying in 1849 and the father in 1860. They raised a family of four children, three boys and one girl, Hosmer A. being the youngest.
He received his education in the common schools and then learned the carpenter trade. In the fall of 1851, Mr. Brown went by the way of the Isthmus to California and engaged in mining for a period of two years, after which he received contracts for erecting government buildings at Fort Point, San Francisco. He followed this business until the spring of 1855, when he took passage on board the steamer "Golden Age" for home. When within 300 miles of Panama and off the coast of Kakera the vessel struck a reef and stove a hole in her bow. The vessel was run ashore but soon filled with water and sank on the beach. Mr. Brown, having had experience in making pumps and draining mines in California, was employed by the captain to assist in stopping the leaks and getting the vessel afloat, which was accomplished on the ninth day, after which they set sail for the British dry docks on the island of Toboga. For his services, Mr. Brown received from the steamship company $500.00 in the way of a donation. After remaining thirty days on the island he crossed the Isthmus and came on the steamer "Illinois", from there to his home in Connecticut, where he spent the summer.
In the fall Mr. Brown started for Kansas. On reaching Ft. Dec Moines, Ia., he heard so much of the troubles there that he changed his mind and came to Minnesota, arriving at Spring Valley, Fillmore County, December, and there spent the winter. In April 1856, he, in company of his brother, Andrew D., who had come from Connecticut that spring, came to Red Rock Township, this county, Hosmer A. entering the northeast quarter of section 9 with a land warrant given his father for services in the war of 1812. He also bought of a Norwegian the southeast quarter of section 9. Mr. Brown and his brother, together with John L. Johnson, were the original proprietors of the townsite of Brownsdale, where Mr. Brown's brother erected one of the first sawmills in Mower County.
In the fall of 1870 Mr. Brown was elected to the legislature and served that term. The same year he secured the location of the Southern Minnesota R.R. at Brownsdale.
Hosmer A. Brown was married in St. Paul January 1, 1870, to Mary L. Frink, born in North Stonington, Conn., her parents being Joseph and Lucy (Billings Coals) Frink, natives of Connecticut. The father was a soldier of the war of 1812. The mother died in 1866, age 66. The father died in 1871 while visiting his son-in-law, Dr. William A. Babcock, in Illinois. Mrs. Brown received her education at the Suffield Literary Institute, at Suffield, Conn.
--------------------------------
Buried next to his wife Mary L. (Frink) Brown
Hosmer A. Brown, one of the substantial and honored citizens of Mower County, and after whom the thriving village of Brownsdale was named, was born in North Stonington, Conn., September 30, 1830, son of Matthew and Lucy (Denison) Brown, natives of the Nutmeg state, who lived on an old homestead, which had been held within the family since the first settlement of Stonington. The property is still in the family. The parents lived on this farm until their death, the mother dying in 1849 and the father in 1860. They raised a family of four children, three boys and one girl, Hosmer A. being the youngest.
He received his education in the common schools and then learned the carpenter trade. In the fall of 1851, Mr. Brown went by the way of the Isthmus to California and engaged in mining for a period of two years, after which he received contracts for erecting government buildings at Fort Point, San Francisco. He followed this business until the spring of 1855, when he took passage on board the steamer "Golden Age" for home. When within 300 miles of Panama and off the coast of Kakera the vessel struck a reef and stove a hole in her bow. The vessel was run ashore but soon filled with water and sank on the beach. Mr. Brown, having had experience in making pumps and draining mines in California, was employed by the captain to assist in stopping the leaks and getting the vessel afloat, which was accomplished on the ninth day, after which they set sail for the British dry docks on the island of Toboga. For his services, Mr. Brown received from the steamship company $500.00 in the way of a donation. After remaining thirty days on the island he crossed the Isthmus and came on the steamer "Illinois", from there to his home in Connecticut, where he spent the summer.
In the fall Mr. Brown started for Kansas. On reaching Ft. Dec Moines, Ia., he heard so much of the troubles there that he changed his mind and came to Minnesota, arriving at Spring Valley, Fillmore County, December, and there spent the winter. In April 1856, he, in company of his brother, Andrew D., who had come from Connecticut that spring, came to Red Rock Township, this county, Hosmer A. entering the northeast quarter of section 9 with a land warrant given his father for services in the war of 1812. He also bought of a Norwegian the southeast quarter of section 9. Mr. Brown and his brother, together with John L. Johnson, were the original proprietors of the townsite of Brownsdale, where Mr. Brown's brother erected one of the first sawmills in Mower County.
In the fall of 1870 Mr. Brown was elected to the legislature and served that term. The same year he secured the location of the Southern Minnesota R.R. at Brownsdale.
Hosmer A. Brown was married in St. Paul January 1, 1870, to Mary L. Frink, born in North Stonington, Conn., her parents being Joseph and Lucy (Billings Coals) Frink, natives of Connecticut. The father was a soldier of the war of 1812. The mother died in 1866, age 66. The father died in 1871 while visiting his son-in-law, Dr. William A. Babcock, in Illinois. Mrs. Brown received her education at the Suffield Literary Institute, at Suffield, Conn.
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Buried next to his wife Mary L. (Frink) Brown
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