William Lafayette Brown (1831 - 1899)

Born 29 Jan 1831 in Rowan Co. NC [present-day Davie Co.]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Eliza (Chinn) Brown — married 1 Dec 1863 in Farmington, Davie Co, NC

Descendants

Died 16 Mar 1899 at age 68 in Winston, Forsyth Co, NC

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Biography

He was trained as a doctor, but gave up the practice of medicine to go into the tobacco business. With his brother Rufus Brown, he started the Brown Brothers Tobacco Co. in Mocksville several years after Civil War. They moved to Winston-Salem (then Winston) in 1877, and ultimately sold out to R.J. Reynolds.

A newspaper clipping in the Brown family Bible quotes an article from April 22, 1875, "Dr. William Brown of the firm of Brown & Bro., of Mocksville, Davie County, bought property here last week and will go to work at once to erect a tobacco factory. Brown & Bro. are among the largest tobacco manufacturers in the state (Western Sentinel). The clipping continues, "The Dr. William Brown residence was on the lot on North Spruce recently purchased by the Journal-Sentinel Company. The home of Mr. Rufus Brown, partner of his brother William, stood on the corner of Spruce facing west and Fifth, opposite the present site of the First Baptist Church."

He is buried in Salem Cemetery in Winston-Salem NC.

Sources

Find A Grave Memorial# 74931167