Harry S. Brown. A lawyer of twenty years’ experience, Harry S. Brown has been identified with the Coffeyville bar the greater part of his professional career and he has shown a remarkable capacity for handling litigation entrusted to him and is a leading citizen as well as a lawyer.
He represents an old Indiana family of English origin. His first American ancestors came to South Carolina in colonial times. Through his grandmother Mr. Brown is of Scotch descent. One of his Brown ancestors was a captain in the English navy and lost his life at sea. His grandfather, John Brown, died near Frankfort, Indiana, and was a native of South Carolina, having established his home on a farm in the Hoosier state during the ’30s.
Mr. Harry S. Brown was born at Wanamaker, Indiana, September 16, 1870. His father, Samuel M. Brown, was born in South Carolina in 1822, and was about eight years of age when his parents moved to the vicinity of Frankfort, Indiana. He became a physician and surgeon, graduating M. D. from the Cincinnati Medical College and practiced continuously and usefully at Wanamaker for a period of fifty-six years. He was a democrat, very active in the Baptist Church, a member of the Masonic fraternity and at one time was a candidate for the State Legislature. Dr. Brown’s first wife was a Miss Brady, who died at Wanamaker, leaving the following children: Henry J., a merchant, who died at Wanamaker in 1915; Edorns O., a money broker at Indianapolis; Corydon S., a physician and surgeon at Wanamaker; Arthur V., an attorney and a member of the Indianapolis bar; Charles A., a civil engineer living at Indianapolis. For his second wife Doctor Brown married Marilda McGaughey, who was born near Hamilton, Ohio, in August, 1841, and now resides at Indianapolis. Her children were: Harry S.; Edward A., a physician and surgeon at Indianapolis; Frank T., a member of the Indianapolis bar; and Ruth, wife of Daniel S. Adams, a physician and surgeon at Indianapolis.
Harry S. Brown as a boy attended the public schools of Wanamaker, and took a six years’ course in Butler University at Irvington, a suburb of Indianapolis. He was graduated Bachelor of Science in 1893 and in 1896 completed his course and received the degree LL. B. from the Indiana School of Law at Indianapolis. After his admission to the Indiana bar in 1896 Mr. Brown practiced at Indianapolis for five years, and in 1901 moved to Coffeyville. He soon acquired a living practice in that city and remained there in the profession until 1910. From that year until 1915 his home was in Lebanon, Missouri, and from 1912 to 1914 he served as prosecuting attorney of LaClede County, Missouri. He then returned to Coffeyville and now has a substantial general civil and criminal practice in Montgomery County. For one term he served as city attorney of Coffeyville. Mr. Brown’s offices are in the McCoy Building, and he resides at 806 West Third Street. He owns considerable property in Coffeyville and is one of the public spirited members of the community. For one year he served as clerk of the Coffeyville City Court. He is a democrat, and was his party’s nominee for city judge on two separate occasions and was also candidate for police judge. He actively supports the Methodist Episcopal Church and fraternally is a member of Acton Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in Indiana, the same lodge of which his father was a member. He also belongs to the Life and Annuity Association, and was formerly affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias.
In 1902, at Coffeyville, Mr. Brown married Juanita N. Matthews, a daughter of John W. and Mary Matthews. Her father, now deceased, was a miller and her mother resides at Neodesha, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the parents of five children: Juanita N., born October 24, 1903; Samuel E., born August 11, 1905; Mary R., born December 6, 1908; Harriet O., born March 6, 1911; and Ella Louise, born March 6, 1914.