1826 - 1908

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• Birth	16 Feb 1826	Groton,New London,Connecticut
  Gender	Female
  Died	30 Jun 1908	Manhattan,Riley Co.,Kansas
  Buried	Sunset Cemetery,Manhattan,Riley Co.,Kansas
  Person ID	I43079	Brainard (Brainerd) / Foster / Fish
  Last Modified	04 Oct 2005 00:00:00
  Father	William WOOD, b. 28 Mar 1784, Groton, New London, Connecticut
  Mother	Betsey DARROW, b. 4 Jun 1785
  Family ID	F18876	Group Sheet
  Family	German S. BROWN, b. 1818, West Winfield,Herkimer Co.,New York
  Married	Abt 1844
  Children	1. Georgiana Adelaide BROWN, b. 1845, Binghamton,New York > 2. William Wellington BROWN, b. 1847, Binghamton,New York > 3. Frederick Vincent BROWN, b. 1850, Binghamton,New York > 4. Charles German BROWN, b. 3 Apr 1851, Chenango , Broome , New York
  Family ID	F18871	Group Sheet

• Notes

  Sources: Wood Family Index; Boston Evening Transcript, 11/17/30; U.S. census records, NY (1855, 1860) and Kansas (1870, 1880); deathcertificate; NY land records; newspaper obituaries; Sunset Cemetery records; probaterecords. Family history says her family was Welsh. Research doesn't establishthis belief, and a belief that the family came to America in the early 1800sdoes not agree with the Wood Family Index. Bess Brown Neerman, granddaughterof Caroline, said, "Grandmother came with her father and three sisters from Wales." That seems to be incorrect, because the Wood Index seems to becorrect for this family. I found Caroline's parents, William and Betty Darrow Wood, inConnecticut and New Milford, PA, and her grandparents, William and Sarah Avery Wood,in CT, so that much seems correct in the Wood Index. Also foundCaroline's three sisters in the index, the names jibing with family records. The entire Wood line, back another two generations, to John Wood inthe mid-1600s, is traced in the Wood Family Index. Appears to check out viaother sources. 1855 NY census (found after Binghamton and enumerated on June 1) says Caroline had lived in town 11 years. (Since date of marriage about 1844?First child born in 1845). Censuses where Caroline was head of household say she was born in PA,and the Wood Family Index indicates she was born in New Milford,Pennsylvania. Chenango Point later became (phrase "changed" used) Binghamton, N.Y.Broome County was split off from Chenango County in 1803. From 1860 New York census: (Broome County film number is 803,724).Lived in 2nd Ward, Village of Binghamton, Page No. 336 of film number above. Widow. Husband had died just before the census (but was not in the1860 mortality records). Real estate was valued at $5,000. Had a servant,Henry Leander, 21, male, born in New York. Two others lived in household: William Lantz, 18, male, marble cutter,born in Germany, and Ann Collins (spelling?), 19 or 14, female, born inNew York. Also see Films 287,878 and 287,879. Information from Kansas censuses for 1875 and 1880: 1875 census (1 March 1875), page 9, shows Charles G. Brown, age 24,and mother on a farm (dwelling 169, family 176) in Vermillion Township,Marshall County, Frankfort Post Office. She apparently owned the farm, valued at$500, and he had personal property valued at $300. He came to Kansas fromIllinois and she from New York. Nearby (dwelling 171, family 178 as listed in census) was another son,Fred V. Brown, 25, farmer, with wife Rebecca A. Brown, 19. He came toKansas from New York and she came from Illinois, being born there. Fred'sreal estate was valued at $1,000 and his personal property at $400. Healso in the 1880 census. Did not find Caroline's eldest son, William Wellington, in the 1875census. 1880 census for Marshall County has: William Brown, 31, farmer, in Wells Township, with wife Mary, 29, andson Herbutt (Herbert), 2. William and Mary came to Kansas from New York, andtheir son was born in Kansas, so they must have come to Kansas by 1878. Charles G. Brown, farmer, still listed as age 24, was married andfarming in Clear Fork Township. Listed also (names all screwed up butages jibe): Wife, Annie (Nancy Ann Picket Brown), 21; Julia (ZadieCaroline), 3; Myrtie (Myrta), 1, and Dudley C. (really Fred Guy), age ?.They were listed for dwelling 2, family 4 on the census. (He and wifewere married Dec. 25, 1875 in Frankfort, Marshall County, according tofamily records & copy of marriage certificate.) [Also in the 1875 and 1880 censuses for Vermillion Township wasWilliam Picket. His daughter Anna (as written in the 1875 census, but must beNancy Ann), was the girl, turned 17 in November, who married Charles G. Brownin December 1875.] Living near Charles (in dwelling 4, family 6) was brother Fred V.Brown, 30, farmer, Clear Fork Township, with wife Rebecca A., 24, anddaughter Georgia, 4. This child, unmarried, age 24 in 1900, was living withgrandmother Caroline in Manhattan, Riley County, 1900 census says. Caroline Wood Brown apparently moved to Manhattan in 1875. She was in the 1880 census, "keeping house" in Manhattan. Obit in "The Manhattan Republic" says she had been a Manhattanresident for 33 years. [See copy of the news article.] Obit in the Manhattan Mentor-Mercury says she died in the MemorialHome in Leavenworth, Kansas, July 1, 1908, age 82, of kidney and heart problems;had been a Manhattan resident for over 30 years; born in New London, Conn.(wrong--that probably where her father was from, or was born); was veryactive in the Presbyterian Church. Survivors are Will Brown, Perry,Okla.; Fred Brown, Olathe, Kans.; and C.G. Brown, Manhattan. Edna Brown Foster writes: "Grandmother Brown worried about Will (asshe called him) working on the railroad on account of the extreme danger, soshe offered to place each of her sons on a farm (160 acres) near Manhattan.Will's farm was located near Frankfort, Kansas; Charles' farm was nearHerington, and Fred's farm near Olathe. This was in the early 1870s." Were these farms homestead land? Charles and Fred apparently were onMarshall County farms before moving on to Herington and Olathe,respectively. Did Caroline finance these ventures from proceeds of sale of her$5,000 property in Binghamton? Family history says her three sons went west with her to Kansas, butthe above census info indicates only Fred could have come with her from NewYork. Edna Foster says she preceded the sons. William Wellington Brown was perhaps married back east and the othertwo sons came to Kansas with their mother, according to Affie Brown'srecollections in Brown Gen., v.2. Edna Brown Foster says her father, William Wellington Brown, marriedMary Dorman in the East. (Not Gorman as B.G., Vol. II, says). Bess Brown Neerman said Caroline "came west to Kansas and put each boyon a farm. Fred dwindled money away. Will went on the railroad.(Apparently he worked on the railroad back east, before coming to Kansas). Charles camefarther west (from Herington, Dickinson Co., to Manhattan)." A group from Binghamton, N.Y., formed a colony, moved to Kansas andnamed the town of Manhattan. But the town was founded in the 1850s,according to a note from Elsa Brown Bate. Edna Foster says the federalbuilding in Manhattan now stands on what was once Caroline Brown'sresidence lot. And a 1904 city directory says she resided at 413 Houston Street, an address near thepresent Manhattan Post Office building. Caroline; her son, Charles G. Brown, and his wife, Nancy Ann PicketBrown, and their sons, Ira Clyde Brown, Charles Elmer Brown and Fred G. Brownare buried in Sunset Cemetery in Manhattan. Her large brown tombstone reads: MOTHER CAROLINE M. BROWN DIED JUNE 30, 1909 AGED 82 YRS. Nearby are buried two grandsons: Charles E. Brown Ira Clyde Brown 1888-1964 1886-1953