USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Biographical Sketches of Some of the Early Settlers of the City Chicago Part 1 > Part 5
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Mr. Brown removed with his family to Chicago, in October, 1835, having been appointed cashier of a branch of the State Bank of Illinois, which had been created here in the winter of 1834. This position he had accepted with some reluctance. under the impression that his previous pursuits had not been of a kind to give him that knowledge of financial matters required in the charge of such an institution. In urging upon him the appointment, one of the principal stockholders remarked, that he possessed one qualification very necessary : in that he could say No, as easily as most men could say YES. As soon as the proper arrangements could be completed, the bank commenced operations, and continued as the only institution of the kind till the year 1843.
The Bank prospered well under Mr. Brown's management, and might, perhaps, have been prospering yet, had the state of the country been anywise settled and healthy. But the serious derangements commencing in 1836, or rather back of that period, in the financial affairs of the nation, carried away bank. and business, East and West; and the Illinois State Bank did not escape. It suffered great losses, and these, with adverse legislation, induced the stockholders to wind it up. The Chi- cago branch suffered with the rest; for real estate was forced upon it in place of money. Yet, in the aggregate, it was so managed that the profit and loss would have shown a balance on the right side.
At the time of Mr. Brown's arrival in the State, its population was not over 40,000; and none, or next to none, of them lived north of the present limits of Bond County. When he came to Chicago, it was a village of about two years' growth, and con- tained about 2000 people. All Northern Ilinois was a wilder- ness ; and, two years later, the whole north half of the State was included in one congressional district ; and sent Hon. John T. Stuart, of Springfield, to Congress ; electing him over his com-
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petitor, Stephen A. Douglas, who, on that occasion, made his first appearance on the stage in pursuit of political honors. The writer of this sketch cast his first vote in Illinois against Mr. Douglas, at that time, and made one of the five majority which defeated him.
In the conduct of such an institution, through times such as these, there were two things which it were impossible to secure together. One was the safety of the institution, and the other, the good-will of all the community. Everybody was in a con- dition of suffering, and wanted money, with an intensity that could take no denial; and the very urgency of the want; point- ed, in no inconsiderable number of cases, to the very reason which made it unsafe to accommodate them. The Cashier of a bank must of necessity look to the safety of his trust. If he is faithful to that, no matter whether no is an easy word to him or not; he is forced to make the two letters which com- pose it, current in his institution. No, is not a popular word, with men who wish to borrow money, especially if they wishi to borrow it very much; as those then did, who wanted to borrow it at all. Mr. Brown's peculiar qualification already mentioned perhaps conduced more to the safety of his trust, than to his popularity for the time being. But integrity and decision vindicate themselves sooner or later, and he has lost little in the long run. Indeed the men who supposed them- selves to suffer from lack of a decision in their favor, would now often choose him as the very man to take charge of a trust of their own, had they one, requiring sagacity and decision united with integrity in its management.
The building, in which the bank was kept, stood at the S .- W. cor. of LaSalle and South Water Sts .; and is well remembered by all the oldest residents of the city. It has only disappeared within the last four or five years.
While the bank was in operation, Chicago was confined prin- cipally to the vicinity of the river. The dwellings even, did not stretch far away from the centre. In the spring of 1835, a three story brick building, probably 117 Lake street, was erected, and finished in the fall, and then filled with goods by Breese and Shepherd. It was the general impression that the stand was too far from the centre of business, and would prove a bad speculation.
Mr. Brown has been a professor of religion in connection with the Presbyterian Church for many years. He sustained the office of ruling elder in that connection in Vandalia, and has held the office from 1835, or nearly the entire period of his residence in this city ; and is as well acquainted with eccle- siastical, as with legal business. He has constantly been a stanch supporter of his own branch of the church; and a reli- able helper in any thing properly claiming his aid in any other connection.
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The first church edifice of the Presbyterian connection was erected upon the alley on Clark Street; between Lake and Randolph, on the West side of the street, (54 Clark street,) where the firm of S. H. Kerfoot & Co. are now situated. The building fronted towards Lake St .; and a large slough run diagonally through the lot in front of the Church, which, on rainy Sabbaths, and in wet times, was bridged by benches from the Church. The writer of this, has a distinct recollection of thus reaching the interior of this place of worship. This ·church, was at the time, the only one erected by any denomina- tion; though the Baptists, Methodists, and Episcopalians, all had a church organization; and the Catholics had a small Chapel near the corner of Washington Street and Michigan Avenue. A few families lived on the north side of the river, and a few stores of goods had been opened there. The town had no sidewalks; and mud of no very certain depth, was plenty, and easily reached. Nothing like a harbor existed ; and vessels were accustomed to lie outside, and unload by lighters.
In 1840, Mr. Brown was appointed School Agent; an office which involved the care of the funds for School purposes in this city. His election was almost accidental; being by a majority of one only of the Whig party, with which he always acted. His acceptance was on the condition, that his services should be gratuitous; and this very likely contributed to keep him in the office, at a time when party greed watched for every post of profit, however small, very much as hungry dogs watched for bones, without regard to their size, or the sort of animals to which they belong. Perhaps the city never made a more fortunate hit, either by blunder or design; for the state of our Schools hitherto had been most deplorable. The School Fund was all unproductive; having been let, for the most part, to parties who had failed to pay, either principal or interests. There were no school-houses fit for use, and the whole matter of Schools was in a decidedly helter-skelter condition. The real era of a change dates with the election of Mr. Brown to this office of School Agent. Confidence began at once to re- vive; for all parties, even the hungry ones, felt that the fund was now safe.
It was no small labor to collect the scattered fragments of the fund, and put them in shape to be productive; but it was accomplished : and though Mr. B. devoted twelve or thirteen years to this business, in connection with his other affairs : loaning it out as it was collected, he never made an uncollect- able debt. The Schools gradually assumed tone and character ; suitable houses were built, and the system, as it now is, gained shape and consistency.
At the time of his resignation of the office of School Agent,
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in view of his gratuitous services, the Common Council of the city passed the following resolutions :
" Whereas, In the resignation of Wm. H. Brown, late School Agent, the community have lost the services of a faithful, dili- gent, and meritorious officer; one who for the long period of thirteen years has bestowed a paternal care-to the fostering and judicious management of that sacred trust-the School Fund; and
Whereas, Although the unsolicited expression of public ap- probation may not add one iota to the already established character of the individual, who is the object of it; yet we believe that a testimonial, of this nature, may afford to any honorable mind a feeling of pleasure and gratification on retir- ing from office, with the unbiased verdict of well done thou good and faithful servant.
Thereupon be it resolved by the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Chicago in Common Council assembled.
That we tender to Wm. H. Brown, late School Agent, our fullest expression of respect and approbation, for the correct and judicious manner in which, for such a long period of years, he has fulfilled the duties appertainting to his late position.
Resolved, That in the economical execution and careful at- tention, with which the late agent has performed his official requirements, we have presented, for the future guidance of his successor, an example well worthy of imitation; and in which we discern the very unusual occurrence of a public office being held by one individual for so long a period, more for the promotion of a laudable and praisworthy object, than for the emoluments attached to it.
Resolved, That for the more fully carrying out the intention of this Preamble and Resolutions, they be entered on record, and a copy presented to the subject of them."
Mr. B. was one of the first Inspectors of Common Schools, elected under the city charter; and was in that Board for twelve or thirteen consecutive years. This Board of inspectors has been the instrument and agency, and in good degree the cause of our present School System. He was a constant and punctual attendant at its sittings, and a leading and influential member of it; and is entitled to his share of the credit of what it has done.
In the winter of 1846, in connection with a few others, Mr. Brown purchased the original charter of the Galena and Chi- cago Union Rail Road, from the Estate of E. K. Hubbard, Esq., then lately deceased. Measures were immediately taken to put on foot a working Railroad in the Northwest. A little piece of road had been built before Mr. Hubbard's death, but it was never worked, and went to decay. To start this Galena Road
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was an undertaking of no small labor. The country was poor: there were no Rail Roads anywhere in the West; and nobody had much faith in them, nor in fact in anything else. So com- pletely had all confidence been wrecked, in the great revulsions of 1836, and onward, that nobody was willing to embark in any new scheme, either with effort or capital. The extent to which this was then true, cannot be conceived of now, by those who have no experience in that chapter of our history. This Galena Road was therefore looked upon as a very doubtful affair; and any amount of writing and cyphering, conventioning and speech- making, was necessary to get it started. The farmers in the country, who had felt in all their bones, as well as pockets. the need of some means of getting to market with their crops, were much more alive to it than our city property. holders; who had saved what little they had out of the fire, so to speak ; and who did not like to risk it again beyond their fingers' ends. But the farmers were poor and able to take but little stock ; and as the citizens would not risk much, the road was begun on a rather small scale. Mr. B. became one of the largest sub- scribers to the stock, and is yet one of the most extensive of its stockholders. He has always been a Director of the Road, and is now its Vice-President. He has therefore had ample opportunity to aid in giving shape to the policy under which that Road has been managed.
Mr. Brown was the very man to have a hand in that under- taking. Cautious to a degree verging on excess: knowing the full value of every dollar that passes through his hands: and constitutionally determined that every dime shall do its own duty, he was the very man to aid in the beginning of a road, without adequate means and without confidence, and carry it forward, step by step, to successs. The first twelve miles of the road only cost about $6000 per mile; but the first twelve miles told the story, for they showed that the road could be . built, and would pay. This road has been the goose that has laid our golden eggs. It is the mother of all the rest in our Northwest.
Mr. B. is a man of capital. He had acquired a competency before his removal to this city, and since that time, with the exception of the perilous years succeeding 1836, has been con- stantly adding to the amount. He early became possessed of considerable tracts of real estate, which has of late, very rapidly enhanced in value. He has entered into no rash speculations, nor made any desperate pushes for fortune. He takes care of what he has; and adds to it when he can do so with safety. He has never entered so largely upon building as have some others, but has expended considerable sums in that way at one time and another. His late residence, at the N -W. cor. of Pine and Illinois Streets, North Side, he erected at a cost of ten thousand dollars, in 1836; and it was, at that time, considered
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the best house in the city. He is now building a residence. with front of Athens marble, on Michigan Avenue, to cost about thirty thousand dollars. As to his present possessions, he is not a man who makes any exhibition of his property. His answer to a question regarding it, was, that the inquirer would have "to guess as to the amount." Our guess therefore is, that it will not fall below $500,000, and may go to twice that sum, or even above that.
Mr. Brown is personally a tall, well-formed man, with a slight stoop of the shoulders; with a keen dark eye, and hair once black as the raven, but now inclining to iron gray. When young, he is said to have been a very fine-looking man, and we can well believe it, for he holds his honors very well as yet.
Mr. Brown is a giving man; being applied to, perhaps, in aid of more charities than any one man in the city ; and perhaps he answers to as many, or more, than any man. But he is not naturally a giver, for his motto is, to keep what he has: and his native answer to all applications, when that answer does not flow through the channel of his christian principles, would very likely be his easy No! His manner is often brusque; but his heart is kindly; and though he who comes to him for an object not wholly explained, may be chilled by the perpendicu- larities of a nervous impatience, which explodes suddenly : he has only to wait for the flow of kindness and good sense, which is sure to come, to be reassured.
Mr. Brown has the talent of good common sense; one most certainly of which the world has need, as fully as of any other; this, with his inflexible integrity, gives him a position in regard to trusts, both public and private, held by few men in our city. He is now in the midst of well ripened middle life, and yet in active duty-a large part of it connected with these trusts, of various kinds, put into his hands. We say of him, as Horace said of Augustus-we forget the Latin of it-but the meaning of it is, "Late may he go hence."
Mr. Brown died in Amsterdam. Holland. June 17. 1867. aged 72 years.
HON. WILLIAM H. BROWN.
BY R. W. PATTERSON, I). I).
THE present writer has been requestel to add to the fore- going sketch of Mr. Brown's life such facts as may be within his knowledge. Being obliged to depend solely on his own memory, he cannot hope to give such interesting particulars as may probably be known to other parties.
During the financial troubles of 1857-1860, Mr. Brown care- fully managed his affairs, and escaped serious embarrassment, having, as usual, kept out of debt, and taken good care of his property. In the year 1860, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives in the State Legislature. In this po- sition he acquitted himself honorably and usefully, being among the most industrions, judicious, and influential members of the body.
In the great struggle for the preservation of our government, which may be said to have commenced in a decided form in 1856, and which culminated in the memorable rebellion in 1861, Mr. Brown, as might have been expected, was deeply en- listed for the cause of liberty and the Union. During the Presidential canvass of 1860, he took an active part in support of Mr. Lincoln, and was as much elated, perhaps, as any man by the success of the Republicans. When, however, the rebellion of the Southern States became a certain fact, and internal war was inevitable, he was very much depressed, feeling, as he often said to the writer, that no one could predict the end. But he had faith in God, and had no doubt that it was the duty of every good citizen to stand for the defence of the right and the support of good government at whatever sacrifice. He cheer-
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fully paid his taxes to the Government, incurred by the war, and gave up his sons to the service of his country without a murmur.
After the war, as age was advancing upon him, Mr. Brown retired, in part, from business; devoting himself, chiefly, to the management of his own property. But he never lost his inter- est in the public welfare, and never gave up his positions in the several Boards of trust with which he was connected, such as those of the Chicago Orphan Asylum, and the Insane Asylum at Jacksonville. He continued to be active and faithful as a member and an elder of the Second Presbyterian Church until his departure for Europe, shortly before his death. IIe several times represented the Presbytery of Chicago in the General As- sembly as a Ruling Elder, and was widely known in the deno- mination as among the most reliable friends of its enterprises. For many years, he was a corporate member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, to whose funds he was a large contributor during his life, and by a handsome provision in his will. And the cause of Home Missions had few, if any, more generous helpers. He was deeply interested, also, during all his later years, in the Mission Sunday School work, and in the Bethel cause, while in his own particular church he was always among the foremost givers, and the most devoted and steadfast supporters, being uniformly in his place on the Sabbath and in the weekly prayer meeting, as well as on special occasions.
In the summer of the year 1866, Mr. and Mrs. Brown left Chicago on a tour to Europe, partly for pleasure and partly on account of his failing health. During this trip, his keen relish for new scenes, and his habit of activity, led him to exert him- self beyond his strength. After traveling through Great Bri- tain and extensively through the countries of Europe, he occa- sionally exhibited signs of exhaustion, and in Amsterdam, Holland, he was taken with the small-pox. When he seemed almost recovered from this distressing disease, and was prepar- ing to resume his travels, he was suddenly seized with paralysis, and shortly sank under it, dying peacefully on the 17th of June, 1867, at the age of 72 years. In the early part of August, following, the writer visited the old Bible House and the room
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in which Mr. Brown's spirit took its flight, went to his grave, and saw the coffin that contained all of him that was mortal.
In the autumn of that year, his remains were transferred to their final resting-place in Graceland Cemetery.
His widow, Mrs. Harriet C. Brown; his four sons, S. Lock- wood, Charles B., Theodore F., and Frederick, and his daugh- ter, Mrs. Mary Tyler, survive him, and are still residents of Chicago.
I trust I shall be pardoned if I now add some of my own personal recollections and impressions of Mr. Brown, as I knew him in his public and private relations.
It was my privilege to become acquainted with Mr. Brown in the year 1833, when I was a student in Illinois College, although I had known him, by reputation, for a considerable time before. For he was a prominent citizen of this State almost from its admission into the Union, having become a citizen in the Territory while he was yet a very young man, and having risen to a position of distinction and public usefulness before he had reached the age of twenty-five years. Being, when I first saw him, among the more noted friends of church music in the State, he was invited to attend a musical conven- tion at Jacksonville, which was held immediately after the an- nual commencement in the College. In this way I was first drawn to him as being interested in a subject that always en- grossed a share of my own thought and attention. After that occasion, I kept up a knowledge of his movements until the year 1840, when I met him again in Chicago, where he had al- ready resided for some years, and was an officer in the First Presbyterian Church. During the summer of that year, I learned more of his personal traits and peculiarities than I had known before, and was more than ever attracted to him. From that time onward until his death, I knew him intimately as a friend and as an Elder in the church of which I was Pastor from its organization in 1842, till the year 1873, six years after his decease in Europe. It will thus be seen that I had an op- portunity of special acquaintance with Mr. Brown, such as few others enjoyed. And still cherishing his memory with the warmest regard, I take pleasure in adding this small contribu- tion to the memorial of him, which it is the desire of his
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family and friends to put on permanent record in this volume.
I have known well and long many of Mr. Brown's attached friends, among whom were Joseph Eccles, Esq., of Hillsbor- ough, Hon. Samuel D. Lockwood, formerly of Jacksonville, and who died two years ago at Batavia; Hon. Thos. Mather, Hon. John T. Stuart, John Todd, M.D., and Rev. John G. Bergen, D. D., of Springfield; President Abraham Lincoln ; Rev. William K. Stewart, of Vandalia; and Rev. Thuron Baldwin, D D., late of New Jersey. A man who commanded the confidence of such gentlemen must have possessed excellences of no ordinary class. Especially deserving of mention was the life-long inti- macy between him and Judge Lockwood, one of the purest and noblest men Illinois ever numbered among her jurists and citi- zens. Only a year before Judge Lockwood's death, in conver- sation with the writer, he referred in the most affectionate terms to his lamented friend, Mr. Brown, whom he was accus- tomed to visit every month during all the later years of his life. I well remember the estimation in which Mr. Brown was held by the older citizens of the State-lawyers, physicians, clergymen, and others, such as Judge Pope, Benj. Mills, Esq., Dr. Newhall, Hon. David A. Smith, and Rev. John M. Peck, D.D.
Among the notable traits of Mr. Brown's character were the following :
1. He was fair and conscientious in his political commitments and action. He was decided in his convictions, first as a Whig and then as a Republican, but never did I know or hear of his espousing the cause of a notoriously bad man of his own party. He may on some occasions have quietly voted for one man of questionable character, but of good principles, in preference to another · worse man whose principles he deemed erroneous and mischievous. But he never warmly supported a corrupt man of any party. And he always urged the nomination of good men. Ile was not a political partisan, but a true, generous patriot.
2. Mr. Brown was a sincere philanthropist. He abhorred those levelling ideas of equality that would destroy all the rights of property, and break up family and social ties as es- tablished at present in civilized communities. But he earnestly
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contended for individual and political liberty, and while he never favored what seemed to him impracticable schemes for the emancipation of the enslaved, he firmly resisted the efforts that were made for the introduction of slavery into this State, and did more, perhaps, than any other man to avert that great curse from Illinois, when parties were nearly equally balanced ; thus saving the State for the cause of freedom-an event, that, in its consequences, probably turned the scale in favor of our national government in the recent bloody strife between the North and the South. Mr. Brown was not a sentimental phil- anthropist ; he carefully inquired how he could do the most for humanity at large, instead of yielding to every momentary im- pulse on the presentation of distress. Thus he co-operated with every well-devised endeavor to provide for the needy and the suffering, while he sometimes turned away the improvident beggar. Ile was a foremost friend of orphan asylums, hospitals. and other kindred institutions established by the State or by private beneficence, doing always his full share to help them. He was philanthropic on principle, and not from mere impulse.
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