William Brown was born the seventh child of James Brown, Jr. and Martha Stephens Brown. He was born in [Fisher Creek] Beverly, Adams County, Illinois.
William was eight years old when his father and two older brothers, Alexander Brown and Jesse Stowell Brown, became soldiers in the Mormon Battalion. William's mother had died, so he was left in the care of his father's plural wives, Esther Jones, Sarah Steadwell, and Abigail Smith Abbott and their brood of children. The families were living in covered wagons and temporary shelters as part of a large migration of Mormons to the western United States.
From the records of John Steele, former member of the Mormon Battalion, "Life in the Valley---1847-1850":
"December 20th, 1847--this day I got from Brother William Brown, 37 lbs. of corn for work, which is the first breadstuffs I have had in my house for many weeks. I pray that neither him nor his children may ever want for bread." --Treasures of Pioneer History, Vol. 2, page 42.
William and his family moved to Ogden, Utah where he lived for the rest of his life. There is a reference by his nephew, Orson Pratt Brown, to William in 1884 in Thatcher, Arizona.
William married Mary Elizabeth Bybee, born about1836 in Kingston, Adams County, Illinois, by whom he had eight children.
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William was the sheriff of Weber County, Utah for over twenty-five [thirteen] years. He was known for his fearlessness and success in ridding Ogden of criminals.. At one time he captured single-handed, two desperadoes who had robbed Wells Fargo Express Co. just as they were about to escape on the train.
"During the 1860s, Weber County continued to grow with additional commerce and industry. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act into law. By 1870, the population of Weber County had increased to 7,358. The increase was tied to the coming of the railroad.
William Brown was elected Sheriff of Weber County during the coming of the railroad. The Union Pacific Railroad track was completed to Ogden on March 8, 1869. The expansion of rail lines through Echo Canyon provided work for citizens living in Weber County. Ogden City Mayor Lorin Farr and his partners contracted with Central Pacific Railroad for work maintaining Central Pacific lines. With the coming of the railroad, the population increased, as travel from coast to coast now only took seven days. As the population increased, crime throughout northern Utah also increased. By 1880, the county had 12,344 residents. This increased to 22,273 by 1890."
William Brown died on October 10, 1904[1906] probably in Ogden.
Sources:
PAF- Archer files = Captain James Brown + (1) Martha Stephens > William Brown.
Brown Book of Remembrance Written by Hattie Critchlow Jensen, prior to 1948.
[Bracketed], bold, corrections, and photos added by Lucy Brown Archer
http://www.co.weber.ut.us/Sheriff/aboutus/history.html
http://www.halegenealogy.com/FamilyHistory/family.php?famid=F11424&ged=halefamgen.ged BIR-MARR-DEA: Vital records taken from "Descendants of Daniel Brown and Elizabeth Stephens" 1986 by Erold Clark Wiscombe. All sources are cited in that book.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~hcpd/norman/BROWN/WILLIAM.htm
Top photo of William Brown contributed by Erold Clark Wiscombe.
1870-1883 Sheriff William Brown
