Brown, Frederick Church

Brown-Frederick Church
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BIOGRAPHY OF FREDERICK CHURCH BROWN

This biography was possible through the generous consideration of Mrs. Gina M. Reasoner.

Source: History of Ohio, The American Historical Society Inc., 1925 Volume IV, page 183:

FREDERICK CHURCH BROWN has been active in the Youngstown business life for over thirty years, most of his time having been spent in banking. He is a manager of a branch of the Dollar Savings and Trust Company at 315 E. Federal Street. His individual career has served to enrich the record of a family of unusual distinction in the Mahoning Valley. Mr. Brown was born in New York City, February 20, 1870, son of Richard and Thalia (Newton) Brown. His grandfather, Capt. John Brown, after serving with the British Army in the battle of Waterloo, came to the United States about 1840 and spent the last twenty years of his life at Canfield, Mahoning County, Ohio. His son, Richard Brown, was born in England, and at the age of fourteen was apprentice to a draper and dry goods merchant, spending seven years in learning the business. He had experience both in London and Paris, and while in London was associated with George Williams in organizing the Young Men Christian Association of the World. Later, after locating in New York City, he assisted in founding and became the first treasurer of the first association in this country. About 1844 Richard Brown came to the United States, and for a time was with the New York firm of Lord and Taylor, and A.C. Stewart. In 1877, on account of ill health, he located at Canfield, Ohio, where he died in 1888, at the age of seventy-one. While visiting his parents in Ohio he met Thalia Newton, who was born at Canfield, daughter of Judge Eben Newton, one of the distinguished lawyers and public men of Ohio. Born in Connecticut in 1795, he came to Ohio about 1814, was admitted to the bar at Warren in 1823, and for twenty years was a partner of Elisha Whittlesey. He also practiced for a short time in Cincinnati with Rutherford B. Hayes. In 1840, Eben Newton was elected a member of the State Senate, and as judge of the Third Judicial District Senate, and as judge of the Third Judicial District held the first session of the common Pleas Court in Mahoning County in 1846. He was elected to Congress in 1850, was president of two railroad lines in Northeastern Ohio, and was the prefect in law with Ben F. Wade, Joshua R. Giddings and other great Ohio men. The mother of Frederick Church Brown died in 1889. The son had spent the first seven years of his life in New York, where he attended a private school, and afterward the public schools at Canfield, was graduated in 1889 from the Northeastern Ohio Normal College, and in 1890 came to Youngstown. For some time he was cashier of the Youngstown Street Railroad Company, and in 1896 was elected city clerk, serving two terms. On resigning that office he became identified with the Wick National Bank of Youngstown, which was subsequently absorbed by the Dollar Savings and Trust Company. He served as teller in the bank until April 1, 1908, at which time he became manager of the Federal Street branch, and has held that responsible executive position in local banking circles for over sixteen years. Mr. Brown married June 27, 1894, Miss Emma Creed, a native of Coitsville, Mahoning County, Ohio, and daughter of John A. and Caroline (Vail) Creed. Her father was a native of England, and her mother was born in Poland, Ohio. Two daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown; Grace Elizabeth, who died in infancy, and Ethel Caroline, wife of Franklin F. Ferris, of Youngstown, Ohio. Mr. Brown has served the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Youngstown as an elder since 1897. For thirteen years he was a member of the City Sinking Fund and Tax Commission, is a republican, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and has been active in the Youngstown Young Men's Christian Association.