An item from the Digby Family File, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN
The Sunday Leader, Lafayette, Indiana
March 10, 1878
"Uncle Jimmie Brown"
A relic of bye-gone days-his early history and settlement in Tippecanoe
County-He pays for the Leader and then reads it.
Mr. James F. Brown, familiarly known as "Uncle Jimmy Brown" called upon
me Thursday and subscribed for the Leader, paying for one year in
advance. "Uncle Jimmy" though now closely grazing four score years, is
as a lively a specimen of a granger as we have met in a long time, and
give fair promise of celebrating his centennial birthday. In the course
of a few moments conversation we elicited from him a few facts relative
to his early history, which are as follows:
Born in Butler County, Ohio, in the year 1799, and in his early manhood
he came to where Lafayette now stands, with WILLIAM DIGBY, the founder
of our city who was his cousin. Remaining a short time, he left, but
returned again in 1826 and permanently settled in this vicinity. He
entered 160 acres of land near Taylor's Station on the farm later owned
by SYLVESTER TAYLOR, remaining there about five years. He then removed
to Clinton County, near the forks of the Wild Cat, where he purchased a
tract of land of 600 acres, partly from the government at $1.25 per
acre. He continued to reside there 5 or 6 years and then came to
Lafayette. At that time he possessed cash in hand $1,600 in silver (the
kind later known as "the dollar of the daddies"). He then bought a
tract of land 160 acres from MARTIN WORTHY, located two miles west of
Lafayette, paying him $8 per acre, half cash, half in a year.
Remaining there a few years, he next rented a hundred acres of bottom
land adjoining Lafayette of MR. ELLSWORTH and was authorized by him to
fence the tract as an equivalent for rent and stayed there for two
years.
MR. BROWN was chosen to sit on the first jury ever impaneled in
Lafayette, on the trial of one Mops and Munger for stealing a bolt of
calico and an Indian pony, Judges EGGLESTON and NAYLOR presiding on the
bench. After hearing the testimony and argument, the jury retired to a
corn house, standing on the bank of the river near the foot of Main
street, to deliberate on a verdict. A decision was gained by placing
twelve grains of corn in a hat and drawing there from as a significance
of "guilty." As the entire twelve grains were drawn out a unanimous
verdict of guilty was rendered and the prisoner was sent to the states
prison accordingly.
"Uncle" JIMMY was something of a mariner making a river trip to New
Orleans for four successive seasons, with cargoes of beef and pork.
Messrs. JOSEPH HANNA, NAT STOCKWELL and JOHN PURDUE being the
consignors. In the earliest history of Lafayette he hauled freight from
Cincinnati, the motive power being four yoke of oxen. The freight would
weigh about four thousand pounds, requiring about one month to make the
trip. The oxen were fed by foraging by the road side and in the woods.
There was no sign of a settlement between here and the Ohio State line,
and the first trip he took he never saw but one house from the time he
left Lafayette until he reached Ohio. He carried his own provender and
did his own cooking.
"UNCLE JIMMIE" had the honor of attending the first wedding ever
celebrated in Tippecanoe County, solemnized by Esq. JENNERS at his home
on the Wea Plains. The bride was MISS HUFF, name of the groom not
remembered. The Squire with due pomp and solemnity adjured the groom in
the following impressive manner, "You take the lady you hold by the
right hand to be your true and lawfully wedded wife, to stick to and
stand by in sickness and in health, in adversity and prosperity, till it
shall please God to separate you?" to which the groom replied, "I
will." When the same words were applied to the bride, she declined to
answer, whereupon the Justice refused to pronounce them man and wife and
instructed the groom to "take her out and court her over again" which he
did and they soon returned. This time the bride nodded her head in
token of assent and though the Squire vexed at her for not saying I do,
pronounced them man and wife. Six months after they separated, the wife
claiming that the husband had married her, but that she had never
married him.
MR. BROWN was engaged by HENRY ELLSWORTH for one year as his general
manager, then he purchased a farm on the Wea, lying on the Wabash River
about eight miles from Lafayette.
MR. BROWN has had the experience of married life with three wives, the
first ELIZABETH RICHARDS of Butler County, Ohio, by whom he had eight
children, the second, HANNAH WEST of Urbana, Ohio, by whom he had two
children and the third lady of Lafayette, who has borne him three
children. MR. BROWN is in his 79th year, in remarkably good health and
still retains his faith in the great God above."
The parents of James Brown were not mentioned, but were Robert and
Rachel Bailey Brown.