Biography of Thomas H. Brown
Thomas H. Brown, born on August 17, 1837, in Portobello, England, emigrated to Wisconsin in 1848 with his family. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Post-war, he briefly mined gold in Montana before returning to Wisconsin. In 1872, Brown settled in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and became a prominent businessman, co-founding the successful Brown & Saenger printing and bookbinding firm. He was also instrumental in local Masonic activities, served on the school board, and played a key role in bringing the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway to Sioux Falls. Brown married Mary Morse in 1867, and they had three sons.