Biography

"SAMUEL LOCKWOOD BROWN died at Tucker Forge Farm, Monson, Mass, December 13, 1912, aged eighty-seven years, having been born at Hamilton, Ohio, August 23, 1825. He was the son of William Hubbard Brown, the highly revered first president of the Historical Society, and Harriet Caroline Seward Brown. The father, one of the pioneers of Chicago, settling here in 1855, had come to Kaskaskia, Illinois, in 1818, from New York State. The mother was the daughter of Col. John Seward. At the time of his birth his parents were citizens of Vandalia, the capital of the State of Illinois, and thither he was taken when three months Old, a journey of ten days, a portion of the way via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. When ten years of age the family removed to Chicago, driving in their own carriage all the way, leaving on Thursday and reaching Chicago the second Tuesday. With the exception of Hillsboro, Montgomery County, Springfield, Ottawa, and Joliet, there were no towns and no stopping places or accom— modations, except such as the few farmers could give in their log houses. Their first home was in what was known as the Government Land Office, then occupied as the residence of John H. Kinzie, on the Chicago River, on a street known as North Water Street, between North State and Dearborn Streets, the whole site now a part of the Chicago River. At that date there were about 2500 people in Chicago.
In 1843 The Young Men's Mission Sabbath School was organized at 250 Kinzie Street, by three young men from the Second Presbyterian Church, and Lockwood Brown became its leader and so continued until 1908. After the Chicago fire of 1871 the Second Presbyterian and the Westminster Presbyterian Churches united under the name of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. A mission had been established by this church on Howe Street and thither the Erie Street Mission Sabbath School removed in omnibuses provided by Henry J. Willing and Charles H. Mulliken, June 30, 1872. The Fourth Presbyterian Church from this time on assumed the management and full support of the work. Very many of Chicago’s citizens of all classes owed much of the pleasure and enlightenment Of their younger days to the influence of this Sabbath School with its branches, and with it will always be connected the name of Lockwood Brown.

During the Civil War Lockwood Brown entered the service in the Quartermaster’s Office. A letter dated Quartermaster General’s Office, Philadelphia, March 20, 1867, reads:

“Gen. S. L. Brown, Colonel in the Quartermaster’s Department, had charge of the forage division of this office during the latter years of the War. It was his duty to provide forage for the armies of the United States, and to give a special personal attention to the supply of these articles to the armies in the Atlantic states. This duty, involving extensive purchases and the expenditure of many millions of dollars, was performed with great skill, success and fidelity. His merits have been duly acknowledged in the official annual reports of this office, and also by brevet promotion in the army. (Signed) M. C. MEIGS, Quartermaster Brevet. Maj. Gen. U. S. A.”

The Annual Report of the Quartermaster-General for 1865 shows that over $31,000,000 was expended and the produce transported under the direction of this faithful steward.

Mr. Brown is survived by his widow, Helen Brodie Brown, and by a sister, Mrs. Mary B. Tyler."