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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Ouachita County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Dr. J. W. Brown, retired physician and a prosperous merchant, of Camden, Ark., was born in Lawrence County, S. C, May 12, 1835, being a son of William and Jane (Leake) Brown, both of whom were also born in the Palmetto State. After their marriage, which took place in South Carolina, they removed to Mississippi, in 1844, and from that State to Ouachita County, Ark., in 1858, and settled on a farm twenty miles west of Camden. Here the father died in 1861, and the mother in Camden, in November, 1888, aged eighty-eight years, being the oldest person in the county at the time of her death. The paternal grandparents were natives of Ireland, and at an early day emigrated to America and settled in Laurens District, S. C, where they spent the rest of their days. Dr. J. W. Brown is one of two surviving members (the other member being Mrs. Dr. Leake of Texas), of ten children, and the most of his education was received in the State of Mississippi. At the age of nineteen years he began the study of medicine, and in 1855, entered the Medical College of Nashville, Tenn., and two years thereafter graduated at Augusta, Ga. He came to Ouachita County, Ark., in 1858, and was engaged in private practice until the war broke out between the States, then enlisted in the Confederate service, and was in the medical department of the army until the final surrender. He then returned to Camden and abandoning his profession he embarked in mercantile pursuits which have received his attention ever since, his adventures along this line being attended with good results. He has always been found to be very public-spirited and has given liberally of his means to worthy enterprises as well as assisting by his influence. He is one of the organizers, and is now building the Camden & Eldorado Railroad, of which he is vice-president, and is possessed of a fine property, being the owner of a large amount of real estate. He is one of the city aldermen, is president of the Ouachita Valley Bank, president of the common-school board, member of the board of trustees of Hendrick College, the board of trustees of Vanderbilt University, president of the Camden Cotton Compress Company and was a member of the board of trustees of the Arkansas Industrial University. Socially he is a member of the Masonic order, the Royal Arcanum and the K. of H. Too much cannot be said in praise of Dr. Brown as a man and citizen, for he has identified himself with every worthy movement of the people, and has enjoyed the reputation of being not only a substantial and progressive man of business, but intelligent and strictly honorable and upright in his dealings with his fellow-men. He was married in 1866 to Miss Annie E. Hatley, and by her is the father of five children: J. W., George W., Edward M., Marion H. and Annie Estelle. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and he has filled the position of steward and teacher of the Bible class for fifteen years. He was a delegate to the last annual conference held at Pine Bluff, and also a delegate to the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which convened at St. Louis in May, 1890.

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This family biography is one of 91 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Ouachita County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Ouachita County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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