Brown article by Karen
Samuel I. Brown
By Karen Cuccinello
Right at the get-go let me tell you I never did figure out what Samuel’s middle initial “I” stood for (that drives me nuts) and he sometimes listed with the middle initial “J”. He was born September 2, 1850 in Gilboa to James J. and Lucina M. Brown. In the 1855 census he is with his father, sister Maria, brother Adam and grandmother Mary Brown in Stamford. His mother has probably passed on as his father does not have a new wife in the next census reports, so he is raised by his grandmother.
He married Mary Mackey, the daughter of Albert and Sarah Mackey, about 1876. They had two children: M. Louise (Mrs. Leonard McClintock 1877-1957) and Roy S. (1884-1916).
In the 1880 Stamford census Samuel lists his occupation as woolen manufacturer and in 1882 he sold his woolen factory to Jordon Chamberlain. In May 1890 his new boarding house, Greycourt, is being painted inside and out. Samuel lists his occupation as butcher in the 1892 Stamford census. In 1900 he purchased the fixtures of Elwin McKillip’s meat market and opened a market in his building on Church St.; then in 1902 he rented his market to S.E. Bouton of South Kortright. In 1905 he is making improvements to his house on Church St. by changing the 1st floor meat market into living quarters for F.M. Depew and lists his occupation in the census as boarding house proprietor. While running Greycourt Samuel also negotiated a five year lease for operating Churchill Hall and Hamilton House after Dr. Stephen E. Churchill resigned as proprietor in 1906. Samuel continues to list as a hotel keeper through to the 1920 Stamford census and also appears in the 1920 Deland, FL census as overseeing the John B. Stetson University student dormitory with his wife as his assistant. His obituary states that he served as steward in Chaudoin hall dining room at Stetson University from 1915-1923. He was referred to as “Daddy” and his wife Mary was referred to as “Mother” while at Stetson.
Samuel was involved in quite a few community organizations. In 1889 he was a delegate for Stamford to the Delaware County Republican Convention; 1893 librarian for a newly formed Philharmonic Society; 1894 elected chief-engineer of the fire department; 1895 elected sewer commissioner; 1897 president of village board; 1898 Stamford corporation assessor and 1907 Vice-President of Stamford Board of Trade.
In March 1930 his wife Mary died, age 73, at their winter home in DeLand, FL following an illness of only a day which was preceded by a stroke of paralysis.
On February 18, 1938 Samuel I. Brown “Daddy”died at his home in Deland, FL about age 87. He had a winter residence in Deland for about 38 years.
Survived by a daughter Mrs Leonard McClintock of Beacon; a niece Mrs. Gradison Warren and nephew Samuel Paradise. His niece Mrs. E.P. Warren of St. Petersburg, was at his bedside at death.
(obituary excerpts from a Deland FL newspaper posted on Findagrave.com)
I tried to find out what happened to the son Roy and why he never married and died so young. The following is the extent of what I could find. An April 1904 Catskill Mt. News states that he has returned from Florida and has taken his old position in the Stamford post office. In November 1914- Roy Brown was quite seriously injured by being thrown from a load of hay. He struck on his feet with such force that both bones of the ankle of one leg were broken. He was attended by his cousin. Miss Eleanor Paradee, a graduate nurse. In the 1915 census for Stamford he is age 30 living with his parents and his occupation is head clerk, possibly at Greycourt. January 1916 (Kingston Freeman)- The Kingston friends of Roy Brown of Stamford will learn with regret his illness with pneumonia at Churchill Hall, of which he is proprietor. From the NYS Death Index on archive.org he died on January 15, 1916 in Stamford. He and his family are buried in Stamford Cemetery plot E-47.
Thank you to Stamford Historical Society for the photos from their large collection of Brown photos.
