Biographical Sketch of John W. Brownlee, Brown County, KSGenWeb Digital Library

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Biographical Sketch
of
John W. Brownlee
Brown County, Kansas

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The following transcription is from a 750 page book titled "Genealogical and Biographical Record of North-Eastern Kansas, dated 1900. These have been diligently transcribed and generously contributed by Penny R. Harrell, please give her a very big Thank You for her hard work!

John W. Brownlee is one of the prominent citizens of Mission township, having been a resident of this locality since 1880. He is numbered among the native sons of the Buckeye state, his birth having occurred in Morrow county, December 17, 1851. His father, Archibald Brownlee, was born in Ohio county, Virginia, and was a son of Hugh Brownlee, whose birth occurred in Scotland. The father wedded Miss Rachel Danley, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of John Danley, who was of Scotch lineage. For many years the parents resided in Ohio but in 1892 came to Kansas, where the father died the following year, at the ripe old age of eighty-two.

He was an ardent Abolitionist and during slavery days aided many a negro on his way to freedom, his home being a station on what was known as the underground railroad. Through that system many of the abused negroes of the south, after making their way across the river to Ohio, were enabled to proceed on their way to Canada. Mr. Brownlee often had ten or twelve slaves in his home at one time. He was always a friend of liberty, right and order, and was a consistent and faithful member of the United
Presbyterian church.

His widow still survives him and is now living with her son, John W., at the age of eighty-nine years, being one of the oldest ladies of the county. Although well advanced in life she enjoys good health and her mental and physical faculties are unimpaired. This worthy couple were the parents of twelve children, two sons and ten daughters, namely: Agnes; Hugh, who served in the Sixty-fourth Ohio Infantry during the Civil War; Lavina, Mattie, Margaret, Sarah, Elizabeth, Josephine, Rebecca, John W., Helen and Frances.

Mr. Brownlee, whose name introduces the initial paragraph of this record, was reared on his father's farm and pursued his early education in the public schools. Subsequently he was a student in Ibelia College, of which his father was a trustee. He remained at home until twenty-five years of age, assisting in the operation of the farm, and in May, 1877 was united in marriage to Miss Emma Scott, a lady of intelligence and a good family who has proved to her husband a faithful helpmate.

She was born in Wells county, Indiana, but was reared and educated in Ohio, her parents being John and Mary (Ozmun) Scott. With their family Mr. and Mrs. Brownlee left their old home in Ohio in 1880 and came to Brown county, Kansas, where our subject purchased two hundred and forty acres of land, upon which the town of East Horton or Horton Heights is now located. He divided this and sold a portion of it for town lots, and in 1887 he extended his own landed possessions by the purchase of three hundred and twenty acres, known as the Lodiania farm, one of the best developed and improved farms of the county.

His place is stocked with a high grade of horses, cattle and sheep, the fields are well tilled, and all modern accessories and conveniences are there to be found. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Brownlee has been blessed with four interesting children: Ethel, Pearl, Clark R. and John Ainsley. Mrs. Brownlee is a member of the Presbyterian Church.

In politics Mr. Brownlee is a Republican and gives a loyal and unwavering support to the principles of the party. In personal appearance he is a man of fine physique, in manner is frank and genial, and is enterprising and progressive. His social and personal qualities are such as to commend him to the respect and confidence of all, and he justly deserves mention among the representative citizens of Brown county.

Last update: Friday, August 02, 2024 18:38:58

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