Crawford County, Pennsylvania


History & Biography
1885
Part V:  Biographical Sketches

SUMMIT TOWNSHIP

page 1081
      ELI BROWN, farmer, P. O. Harmonsburg, was born May 6, 1816, in what was then Sadsbury, but now Summit Township, and is a son of John Brown, whose father, also named John, came to this county at an early day from Berks County, Penn., and as a pioneer took up land.  Our subject's father, one of the eldest of the family, was in the war of 1812.  He raised a family of eight children:  Samuel (who married Susan Luper), Eli, Jacob (married Angeline Hall, and on her death married Miss Swift), David (married three times, first Mary  Hall, next Mary Dudley, and lastly Eliza Trouax, who is now a widow), Philip (married Miss Garner), William (married Mary McGuire), Joseph (married Alvira Galbraith, then Hannah Craven, who was then a widow), W. B. (married Eliza Shotwell; he is now deceased).  Eli Brown was married in 1837 to Rhoda Pool, by whom he had four children:  William H. H. (married Miss Van Tassell), Hannah (married Daniel B. Robinson), Winfield S. (married Sally Reeme), Walter C. (married Eva Sterling).  Mr. Brown is a leading farmer; has been Assessor two terms, Collector of Taxes, Roadmaster, and has served on the Board of Elections.
pages 1081-82
      PHILIP BROWN, farmer, P. O. Harmonsburg, was born in Summerhill Township, this county, April 16, 1820, and is a son of John and Hannah (Gehr) Brown, who came with their parents some time in 1802 from the East, over the mountains.  Our subject's grandfather was John Brown, who had nine children, of whom three are now living:  Betsy (now Mrs. Michael Foust), Annie (now Mrs. John Trace), and Lydia (now Mrs. Philip Foust).  John Brown, the father of our subject, a soldier in the war of 1812, had eight children, six now living:  Samuel, Eli, Jacob, Philip, William and Joseph.  Philip Brown was married to Elizabeth Garner, who bore him three children:  Henry, Catharine, and Hattie, now Mrs. Joseph McGuire.  On the death of his first wife, our subject married Rachel Cooledge, and by her had no family.  Mr. Brown has been School Director, and has taken a deep and intelligent interest in this work, so that the school under his care has prospered to an extraordinary degree.  He has been brought up in the Reformed Church; in his political views is a Republican.  His family, whose history is fully portrayed in [p. 1082] that of Vernon Township, is one of the most numerous and prosperous in this vicinity.