Jacob I. Brown, Justice of the Peace, Charleston; a sun of John and Rachel Brown; born Oct. 12, 1819, near Jonesboro, Washington Co., Tenn.; his parents afterward removed to Wayne Co., Ind., but soon returned to Tennessee; their next move was to the White Water River, where his father and eight brothers and sisters died of yellow fever inside of a few months. His mother soon afterward removed with her remaining children, consisting of three sons and one daughter, to Bloomington, Ind. In 1832 or 1833, he went to learn the printing business, and worked for different parties till 1840, when he came on foot to Paris, Ill., and bought the Minas Statesman printing office, and began the publication of a Democratic newspaper; in 1844, he moved the office to Charleston, and started a paper called the Investigator, in connection with which he published a religious periodical, edited by Rev. Richard Newport. In 1845, he was elected Assessor for the county. He was married June 24, 1845, to Miss Ann E. Javins, who was born near Alexandria, Va., and after the death of her father removed with her mother to Vincennes, Ind., and after her mother’s death, came to Charleston, and resided in the family of her uncle, Albert Compton. In 1846 or 1847, in company with W. D. Latshaw, he began the publication of the Illinois Globe, Democratic paper, continuing it seven or eight years; in the mean time, he was appointed Postmaster, and held the office under Presidents Polk, Pierce and Buchanan. He was also engaged with various partners in the grocery and drug business till the spring of 1861; in the fall of that year, he was elected County Clerk. and held that office four years, after which he engaged in the mercantile business. On the 2d of May, 1868, he was commissioned Justice of the Peace by Gov. R. J. Oglesby, and re-elected to the same office in 1872, and has served as such ever since; he has been several times a member of the City Council, and served twice on the Board of Education, and is now a member of the School Board for the township.
