Joseph R. Brown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph R. (Renshaw) Brown b. 1805 d. 1870 buried: Henderson, Minnesota
Served: Territorial Council 1854-55 (District 6); Territorial House 1857 (District 10); Democratic Constitutional Convention 1857 (District 10)
Came to Minnesota in 1820 and became well known as a trader, businessman, Indian agent, politician, speculator, and inventor.
Brown County and Browns Valley in Minnesota are named after him.
Home: Joseph R. Brown State Wayside Reststop; Renville County Highway 15, south of Sacred Heart, Minnesota. The Joseph R. Brown State Wayside Reststop displays the granite ruins of Brown's home from 1862. Destroyed on August 19, 1862 during the U.S./Dakota Conflict, also known as the Minnesota Sioux Uprising. The three story home was a mansion compared to normal pioneer homes. Brown's family(his wife and 12 children) were spared because of his wife's Native American heritage.
