STEPHEN R. BROWN, one of the representative farmers of Jackson township, is numbered among its native sons, born May 9, 1862, a son of Stephen and Ann (Johnson) Brown and a grandson of Samuel and Nancy Brown. The grandparents were born in Ireland, where they were farming people, and coming to America they located first in Pennsylvania, from whence they later moved to Davis county, Indiana, and later to Sullivan county, where they spent the remainder of their lives.
Stephen Brown, a son of Samuel and Nancy Brown, was born in Pennsylvania, about 1819, and was but a child when he came with his parents to Davis county, and some time in the thirties he came with them to Sullivan county. He was married tn Jackson township in 1856 to Ann Johnson, who was born near Jamestown, Ohio, March 11, 1832, a daughter of George and Epharatia Johnson, both now deceased, and they too were farming people. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and the first two, George W. and Samuel B., were twins, the former now living in Mandan, North Dakota, and the latter in Youngstown, Ohio; William E. resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Stephen is mentioned later; Charles died in infancy; Nancy A. died at the age of sixteen years: and Mary E. Wilcox resides in Bricelyn, Minnesota. Stephen Brown, the father, was a lifelong agriculturist, and at one time owned an estate of three hundred and thirty-five acres, being both a grain and stock farmer. In politics he voted with both the Whigs and Republicans, and both he and his wife were earnest members of the Presbyterian church.
Stephen R. Brown assisted his father with the farm work until the summer before his marriage, when he began farming for himself. He wedded, November 29, 1885, Anna A. Wambaugh, who was born on the 20th of December, 1864, a daughter of Ebenezer and Rosena Wambaugh, the former of whom was born in 1830 and died April 20, 1896, while the latter was born in 1828 and died April 10, 1896. Both were natives of Germany, the father coming from Prussia and the mother from Baden before their marriage, and from Ohio they moved to Greensburg, Indiana, and later, about 1873, came to Jackson township, Sullivan county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Brown was blessed by the birth of five children. The eldest, Herbert A., born July 5, 1887, received a common school education with one term in Brown's Business College, and he is now in the regular army and stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He enlisted on the 18th of March, 1908. William E., born February 13, 1888, completed the common school course and a one year's high school training, and is now working at the mine. Ernest R., born October 7, 1889, passed from the common schools to the high school, where he studied for two years, and was for one year a student at the normal college at Danville, Indiana. He is now teaching his first school. Leslie R., born August 1, 1892, has completed the common school course and is now assisting his father on the farm. Mildred A., born May 6, 1897, is attending the common school.
Just after his marriage Mr. Brown bought the forty acres of land on which his home is now located, and his farm contains one hundred and twenty-seven acres of land, while in addition to this he also farms the three hundred and thirty-five acres belonging to his mother. He raises both grain and stock, and has been very successful in his chosen field of endeavor. He is a stockholder in the Citizens' State Bank of Farmersburg, and is a Republican in his political affiliations. Both he and his wife are members of the United Brethren church.