Thomas H. Brown (mayor) explained

Thomas H. Brown
Order:25th & 28th
Office:Mayor of Milwaukee
Term Start:April 1888
Term End:April 1890
Predecessor:Emil Wallber
Successor:George Wilbur Peck
Term Start1:April 1880
Term End1:April 1882
Predecessor1:John Black
Successor1:John M. Stowell
Party:Republican
Birth Date:3 April 1839
Birth Place:Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territory, U.S.
Death Place:Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Restingplace:Forest Home Cemetery,
Father:Samuel Brown
Education:Beloit College
Signature:Signature of Thomas Hoyt Brown (1839–1908).png

Thomas Hoyt Brown (April 3, 1839June 19, 1908) was an American businessman and Republican politician. He was the 25th and 28th mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was the first mayor of Milwaukee born in Milwaukee.

Background

Thomas H. Brown was born in Milwaukee on April 3, 1839.[1] He died at his home in Milwaukee on June 19, 1908.[2]

Career

Brown served as an alderman and President of the Milwaukee Common Council before serving as Mayor from 1880 to 1882.

In 1888, merchant and former alderman Herman Kroeger ran for Mayor of Milwaukee as a Union Labor candidate advocating public ownership of municipal improvements, the establishment of public baths and a law permitting the recall of city officials. He was taken so seriously that the Republicans and Democrats united to run Brown as a fusion candidate against him. He was nearly elected anyway, with 15,033 votes to 15,978 for Brown. Radical Socialist Labor candidate Colin Campbell, backed by Paul Grottkau (imprisoned editor of the Arbeiter Zeitung) garnered 964 votes, just enough to keep Kroeger from winning if they’d gone to him instead.[3]

Brown was a Republican.[4] He is interred in Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Representative men of Chicago, Milwaukee and the World's Columbian Exposition . American Biographical Publishing Company . Chicago, New York . 844–845 . 1892 . 2022-02-23 . Internet Archive.
  2. News: Former Mayor T. H. Brown Dead . Watertown Weekly Leader . Milwaukee, Wisconsin . 7 . 1908-06-26 . 2022-02-23 . Newspapers.com.
  3. Wells, Robert W. This Is Milwaukee New York: Doubleday, 1970; p. 169
  4. Web site: Thomas Hoyt Brown. Political Graveyard. 2011-10-13.
  5. Web site: Historical People. Forest Home Cemetery . May 16, 2014.