Notes for: Ammi Almanzia Brown
Very little has been found regarding Ammi Almanzia Brown and wife Almira Sanders. It is not known for sure when or where they were married or when they moved to Minnesota. Born in Massachusetts in 1829, Ammi was found in the 1840 Census with his parents and brother residing in Burlington, Otsego Co, NY. He was next found in the 1855 State Census of Otsego County, New York, along with his first wive Deborah and their daughter Ida. Five years later, the 1860 Census found him residing in Crawford County, Wisconsin with Deborah, and their two children, Ida and Edwin. (Further evidence of this first marriage is his 1898 application to the Washington Soldiers Home, on which he stated that he had two children, ages 44 and 16.) He was a resident of Palmyra, Jefferson Co, Wisconsin in Aug 1862 when he entered military service for the Civil War. Ammi's and Almira's marriage must have occurred upon Ammi's return from Civil War duties, as they are found together in the 1870 Census in Guilford, Chenango Co, New York. They were next found in the 1885 Census of Wadena Co, Minnesota, with son Addison.
Circumstances taking Ammi from Minnesota to the state of Washington in 1893 are unknown. An affidavit by son Addison Avery Brown, dated Aug 21 1935 at Clarksburg WV, regarding establishment of Addison's birthdate, stated that his family had moved from Minnesota to Montesano, Washington, when he was about nine years old, that the family Bible had been destroyed in a house fire about three years later, that his mother had died when he was about six years old, that his father had died when he was about 18 years old, and that he had no living siblings.
If Almira died in about 1888, as is likely based on son Addison's twice testifying as much, there is evidence that Ammi twice remarried. The first re-marriage was confirmed by the discovery of an item in the Tacoma Daily News of Sep 10 1894, which reported that Ammi A. Brown had filed for divorce from Deborah S. Brown on the grounds of desertion after only three days of marriage. A news item in the Nov 12 1894 issue of that newspaper stated in its entirety "Armi [sic] A. Brown has been divorced from Deborah S. Brown." A slightly more detailed account was printed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of Nov 10 1894 in a column titled "Brief Tacoma News," dateline Tacoma, Nov. 9: "A. A. Brown secured a decree of divorce today from Deborah Brown. They were married in California in 1888, started on their honeymoon and got as far as Portland, when Mrs. Brown left her new husband, after just three days of married life."
Just over three years later, Ammi's marital status was listed as married on his Feb 1898 application to the Washington Soldiers Home. But on his March 1899 application to the Soldiers Home, his entry for marital status was "She has left me, I do not know where she is." Correspondence from fourth wife Rachel A. Brown, and others, found in his Soldiers Home file shows that Ammi and Rachel were married on Jun 27 1895 in Tacoma, and that she left him in Spring 1898. A letter from her dated Sep 29 1899 indicates that she had not been informed of Ammi's death three months before, supporting his contention that she had deserted him.
Addison Avery Brown always gave his parents' names as Ammi Almanzia Brown and Almira Saunders (or Sanders), and official records support that. But Addison's obituary identified his parents as Adli Brown and Rachel Sanders. The basis for that information is not known, other than an apparent confusion of his mother with his stepmother. Ammi's middle name Almanzia has been found in only two documents, son Addison's delayed birth certificate, and Addison's application to the Modern Woodmen of America.
Addison's birth certificate, which was not registered until 1943 when he was a longtime resident of Doddridge County, WV, identified his father as Ammi Almanzia Brown, age 54 at the time of Addison's 1881 birth, born in Massachusetts, occupation carpenter; and his mother as Almira Saunders Brown, age 39 at time of Addison's birth, born in New York. Information supporting the delayed filing was provided in affidavit by Edith Maria Weeden, 20 Brown Avenue, Norwich, Chenango County, NY, who was identified as Addison's cousin. Addison always told his son Armand that Edith was Addison's only living relative outside the immediate family.
Civil War Service Records reflect that Ammi A. Brown, a resident of Palmyra, Wisconsin, served as a Private with Co A of the Wisconsin 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment from Aug 1862 to Jun 1865. Applications to the Washington Soldiers Home in 1897, 1898 and 1899 show this to be the same Ammi A. Brown, born Sep 13 1829 in Boston MA, carpenter by trade, who was the husband of Almira and the father of Addison. He applied for a Civil War pension on Sep 16 1890, classification "Invalid," which may correspond to what is now called "disabled."
1840 Census, Burlington, Otsego Co, New York:
Household of Ammi T. Brown
1 male age 40-50 (this would be Ammi T. Brown, who we know from the 1870 Census was born about 1799)
1 male age 10-15 (i.e., Ammi A. Brown, b. 1829)
1 male age 5-10
1 female age 40-50
No record of Ammi Brown was found in any 1850 Census. However, the following census entry cannot be ignored:
1850 Census, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (Town of Milford), enumerated on Aug 20 1850:
Ai Brown, 22, b. Massachusetts, carpenter; Rosina Brown, 21, b. Mass; Lola (Lela ?) Brown, 1, b. New Hampshire.
In the next household:
Levi Tuffts, 50, cabinet maker; Mary W. Tuffts, 43; Helen Tuffts, 6. Birthplace for all indicated as New Hampshire, but the use of ditto marks under Lola Brown, above, leaves open the possibility that Massachusetts was intended. It is noteworthy that Ammi A. Brown's father, Ammi Tufts Brown, was named for his uncle, Ammi Tufts, the husband of his mother's sister Lucy (Williams) Tufts.
1855 New York State Census, Otsego County (Town of Butternuts), enumerated on Jun 29 1855:
Ammi Brown, 25, b. Massachusetts, carpenter, resident of this town for 2 yrs; wife Deborah S. Brown, 18, b. Otsego Co, resident of this town for 2 yrs; child Ida A. Brown, 1, b. Otsego Co.
1860 Census, Crawford Co, Wisconsin:
Ami Brown, 30, b. New York, occupation (blank); Deborah, 28, b. New York; Ida, 6, b. New York; Edwin, 2, b. Wisconsin.
Although our Ammi Brown was not born in New York, he did live there before coming to Wisconsin. Despite the discrepancy, and the five-year variance in Deborah's age, this appears to be our Ammi with his first wife and their children (Edwin later appears with him in the 1870 Census). Ammi was a resident of Wisconsin when he entered the military in 1862.
1870 Census, town of Guilford, Chenango Co, NY:
Ami Brown, 39, b. Massachusetts, occup house carpenter; Almira Brown, 28, b. New York; Edwin Brown, 11, b. Wisconsin; Ami Brown, 71, b. Connecticut, occup carpenter & joiner.
Although relationships are not stated, it would appear that the elder Ammi is the father of the younger, who in turn is the father of Edwin. Based on the earlier census, Edwin's mother was Deborah, not Almira. No entry for this Edwin Brown was found in any subsequent census.
No entry for Ammi Brown was found in the 1880 Census, although we know that he was in Minnesota for the birth of son Addison in 1881.
The 1880 Census of Minnesota lists in Aldrich Twp, Wadena Co, Albert A. Brown, age 40, carpenter, born in New York; and his wife Almira Brown, age 35, born in New York, her father born in Connecticut, and her mother born in New York. Despite the discrepancies, the possibility cannot be discounted that this is the couple in question. The same Census shows Charles W. Brown, age 35, born in New York, father born in Connecticut, mother born in New York. Given ages and locations, these two Browns could be brothers or other close relatives.
The 1885 Census of Minnesota lists in Aldrich Twp, Wadena County, A. A. Brown, age 53, born in Massachusetts; Almira Brown, age 41, born in New York; and Addison (misspelled Adison), age 3, born in Minnesota.
California Voter Registration records indicate that Ammi A. Brown was a resident of San Diego County in 1888. "The Great Register of San Diego County for 1890" contains the following entry:
Ammi A. Brown, age 57, nativity Massachusetts, occupation carpenter, local residence Escondido, date of registration Feb 13 1888.
Minnesota Land Records, Document 16156, St. Cloud Land Office, on file at U.S. Bureau of Land Management, show that Ammi A. Brown purchased 80 acres of land on Dec 16 1890, with the following legal description: Aliquot Parts S1/2SE, Base Line 5TH PM, Fractional Section No, Township 134 N, Range 34 W, Section # 4.
In "The Famous & Not So Famous," published by the Verndale Historical Society in 1987, it is noted that the relationship between the many Brown families who settled there has not been entirely determined. Of the many pages devoted to settlers of the Brown surname, only the following three entries appear regarding this one: (1) "Architect and Builder. I am prepared to take contracts for erecting buildings of all kinds. Plans and specifications furnished on short notice. Stair building a specialty." [Wadena County Tribune, Dec 5 1878, attributed to A. A. Brown] (2) "A. A. Brown has erected a barn near Verndale." [Verndale Journal, Dec 26 1879] (3) "The A. A. Brown Furniture, 1882, is mentioned in 'Bartlett Township History,' Volume I." It is noted that there were apparently two A. A. Browns, Ammi Almanzia and Albert A., who were carpenters and residing in Verndale at that time.
Based strictly on the two Censuses and on son Addison's birth certificate, Ammi would have been born either ca 1840, ca 1832 (most likely), or ca 1827; but entries on his applications to the Washington Soldiers' Home consistently and specifically state his birth date as Sep 13 1829. Ammi Almanzia Brown was thought by family lore to have died at age 74 of apoplexy, although son Addison, born in 1881, recalled that he was about 18 at the time of his father's death, which would have been shortly after Ammi's last admission to the Washington Soldiers' Home in Orting, Pierce Co, WA in 1899. Discovery of his grave at the Washington Soldiers Home Cemetery in Orting shows that Ammi Brown's death occurred on Jun 20 1899, also reflected in Pierce County death records.