Samuel Thomas Brown

SAMUEL T. BROWN has been a resident of Kansas for twenty years and is proprietor of the leading general mercantile establishment at Paradise, having a trade and business connections over a large part of Russell County. He has shown very capable qualities as a merchant and is an all around good citizen.

Samuel Thomas Brown was born at Greeneville, Tennessee, August 26, 1876. That particular locality of Eastern Tennessee has been the home of the Browns for several generations. The first Americans of the name immigrated to the new world in early colonial days and settled around Jamestown, Virginia. Mr. Brown's grandfather, Harvey Brown, was a native of Tennessee, spent his life as a farmer near Greeneville, and died there in 1878.

James Dawson Brown, father of the Paradise merchant, was born at Ottway, Tennessee, December 25, 1840. Like most of the inhabitants of Eastern Tennessee he had strong Union feelings and sympathies, and when the Civil war came he joined the Eighth Tennessee Regiment, in 1862, and experienced some of the hardest fighting of the war. He was in the battles of Shiloh, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and was with Sherman's army on the march to the sea. After the war he returned to his farm near Greeneville, and lived there quietly, but was a man of much community influence the rest of his days. He died in 1914. In spite of his Union sentiments he was a democrat and as a public servant, filled the office of justice of the peace more than twenty-five years. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. James Dawson Brown married Catherine Weems. She was born at Ottway December 26, 1840, and died there in 1891. She was the mother of seven children: Harvey, a farmer at Esborn, Kansas; John, a farmer at Greeneville, Tennessee; James, a farmer at Geraldstown, Tennessee; Wilbur, a farmer at Greeneville; Samuel Thomas; Charles R., who died at the age of nine years; and Robert, a farmer and merchant at Geraldstown, Tennessee.

Samuel Thomas Brown spent the first twenty-two years of his life on his father's farm in Tennessee. He received his education in the public schools of Ottway. In 1898 he came out to Kansas and farmed near Salem four years. In 1902 he homesteaded 160 acres in Wichita County, proved it up and cultivated this farm eight years, eventually selling it. In September, 1911, he entered merchandising at Paradise, buying a general store. He has kept this moving along and prospering ever since and has made it the leading store in this part of Russell County and he owns the building in which the store is situated. This is divided into two store rooms, one 80 by 24 feet and the other 50 by 30 feet, including basement. There is also a warehouse and on the second floor of his store is a hall 50 by 80 feet, used for lodges. He also owns a good home in Paradise. He is a democrat and is affiliated with Paradise Lodge of Odd Fellows.

In 1902, at Esborn, Kansas, Mr. Brown married Miss Cora White, daughter of James and Rachel (Campbell) White. Her mother lives in Greeneville, Tennessee, and her father, who died there, was a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the parents of seven children: Robert, a freshman in high school; Leland, Edna, Carroll, Myron, all in the grade schools, and Dean and Ilene, who have not yet reached school age.

Pages 2118-2119.