My Genealogy Hound

William T. Brown, M. D., one of the leading practicing physicians of Altus, Franklin Co., Ark., was born in Jackson County, Mo., April 9, 1828, and is the son of Halbert E. and Susannah (Burk) Brown. John Brown, grandfather of our subject came from Ireland and settled in Wythe County, Va., at a very early date. Soon after Daniel Boone went to Kentucky, he followed and located in what is now known as Wayne County, where his son, Halbert E. Brown, was born in 1804, August 12. The latter lived in Kentucky until after his marriage to Miss Burk, who was born in the same county in 1802, and then in 1824 they moved to Missouri, and were among the first settlers of Jackson County. They moved from there to Saline County, Ark., in 1849, and afterward moved to Lewisburg, where they both died during the war. The father was a dealer in stock while in Missouri, and after moving to Arkansas he turned his attention to farming. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was a Democrat in politics. They were the parents of six sons and two daughters, two sons now living, the subject of this sketch and Benton L., who is a farmer in Franklin County, Ark. Dr. William T. Brown received his education at Independence, Mo., and studied medicine at the same place. In 1855 he commenced the practice of his profession in Saline County, Ark., and in 1860 he moved to Russellville, Pope County, of the same State, where he practiced until 1883, and then came to Altus. In 1868 he was elected county judge of Pope County, and held the position for four years. He was postmaster at Berlin for a time, was justice of the peace, register, etc., and during the war he acted as assistant surgeon at Dardanelle and Little Rock in the Federal service. At Altus he has a successful practice, and in fact has all, or more, than one physician can attend to. July 26, 1849, he wedded Miss Mary J. Wills, a native of Saline County, Ark., and the daughter of Jesse T. Wills, a native of Alabama, but an early settler of Saline County, Ark. Mrs. Brown died in her native county, February 8, 1855, and of the two children born to their union, only one, John M., is now living, and is a successful farmer of Franklin County, Ark. Jesse was born July 9, 1850, and died August 10, 1863. Then February 18, 1856, Dr. Brown married Miss Mary J. Graves, a native of Saline County, Ark., born April 17, 1839, and the daughter of James Graves. To the second union were born two children: Clarissa J., born March 17, 1857, and Martha J., born July 26, 1866. Clarissa J. is the wife of T. J. Morrison, a farmer of Franklin County, Ark., and Martha J. is the wife of E. R. Lee, agent of the ticket office at Alma, Ark. Dr. Brown is a Republican in his political views, and is a strict Prohibitionist, is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.