Isaac Brown (Wisconsin pioneer) explained

Isaac Brown
State:Wisconsin
State Assembly:Wisconsin
Term Start:January 7, 1856
Term End:January 5, 1857
Predecessor:William H. Ebbets
Successor:John B. Wilbor
Order1:3rd
Title1:Mayor of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Term Start1:April 1854
Term End1:April 1855
Predecessor1:George McWilliams
Successor1:Mason C. Darling
Office2:Chairman of the of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
Term Start2:April 1852
Term End2:April 1853
Predecessor2:William Starr
Successor2:N. M. Donaldson
Office3:Treasurer of, Wisconsin Territory
Term Start3:January 1845
Term End3:January 1848
Predecessor3:Benjamin Franklin Moore
Successor3:Kirkland Gillet
Party:Democratic
Birth Date:4 June 1811
Birth Place:Chenango County, New York, U.S.
Death Place:Maryland, U.S.
Spouse:Lydia Arnold

Isaac Brown (June 4, 18111883) was an American construction contractor, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the 3rd mayor of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and represented central in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1856 term.

His former home, the Fond du Lac Octagon House, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Biography

Isaac Brown was born in Chenango County, New York, in 1811. He came west to the Wisconsin Territory in the early 1840s, settling in what is now Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Shortly after arriving in the territory, he was selected to serve as court clerk at the first term of the United States district court held at in 1844. Later that year, he was elected county treasurer, serving three years in office. During those years, he also became one of the most prominent builders in, winning a contract from the county board to construct the first county courthouse.[1]

When Fond du Lac was incorporated as a village in 1847, Brown was elected to the village's first board of trustees. He was subsequently elected village president in 1851. The following year, he was elected chairman of the county board of supervisors.[1]

After was incorporated as a city, Brown was elected the city's 3rd mayor in 1854.[1] Throughout the 1850s, he was also active as a member of the local school board and was responsible for several school constructions.[1]

In 1855, Brown was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, running on the Democratic Party ticket. He served in the 9th Wisconsin Legislature, representing 3rd Assembly district, which then comprised the city of and central

Personal life and legacy

Isaac Brown was one of at least 12 children born to Thomas Brown and his wife Nancy ( Frink).

Isaac Brown married Lydia Arnold. Their son, Edwin Arnold Brown, served as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War. He joined up with fellow pioneer Edward S. Bragg in the volunteer company that became Company E of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Bragg was the initial captain of the company, and Brown was his first lieutenant. After Bragg was promoted to major in the fall of 1861, Brown became captain of the company. He led the company through the Second Battle of Bull Run, where their brigade was nicknamed the Iron Brigade. Edwin Brown was killed in the early hours of the Battle of Antietam when a shell fell directly into the ranks of the regiment.[2] [3]

Today, Isaac Brown is best known for his former home in Referred to as the Fond du Lac Octagon House, it was built for Brown in 1856. The home still exists at in, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin . 1880 . Western Historical Company . 393, 410, 569 - 571, 599, 661 . November 15, 2024 .
  2. Book: Quiner, Edwin B. . The Military History of Wisconsin . 1866 . The Iron Brigade of the West . 453 . Chicago, Clarke & co. . November 15, 2024 .
  3. Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861 - 1865 . 1886 . Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin . Sixth Regiment Infantry . 513 . November 15, 2024 .
  4. Web site: 276 Linden St . . January 2012 . November 15, 2024 .