William D. Brown
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William D. Brown (1813 – February 3, 1868) was the first pioneer to envision building a city where
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
sits today. Many historians attribute Brown to be the founder of Omaha, although this has been disputed since the late nineteenth century. Alfred D. Jones, the first postmaster of Omaha, laid strong claims to the title himself, suggesting that he told Brown about the potential for a town. Brown was also a member of the Second Territorial Legislature for the
Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska ...
.


About

Brown lived in
Mount Pleasant, Iowa Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa. The population was 9,274 in the 2020 census, an increase from 8,668 in the 2010 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders. History The first permanent s ...
where he was the
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
of Henry County starting in January, 1837. After leaving for the
California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
in 1850, he stopped in
Council Bluffs Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is lo ...
after seeing that there was an opportunity to earn money ferrying settlers across the Missouri River. After obtaining a charter from the Pottawatomie County Commissioners, Brown called his enterprise the
Lone Tree Ferry The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, US, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown. Brown was the first pio ...
after the single tree which marked his landing on the
Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska ...
side of the Missouri River. He later sold the company, which became the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company. Brown's daughter, Mary, married Alfred Sorenson, who became an influential politician in Omaha.Reeves, W. (1916) . p. 145. Retrieved 8/13/07.


Death

According to a period obituary, Brown's death was caused by a "ruffian" in
Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...
who
mugged Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
him for his money. Brown died shortly after struggling back to his home in Omaha."Chapter XXIX: Old Settlers"
''Early History of Omaha.'' p. 214. Dr. George L. Miller, an early editor of the '' Omaha Herald'', wrote an
obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...
for Brown. Among other things, he wrote,


See also

*
Founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska The following people were founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska. Their period of influence ranges from 1853 through 1900. The original founding event to establish the City of Omaha was recorded as a picnic on July 4, 1854. It took place on the hill ...
*
History of Omaha The history of Omaha, Nebraska, began before the settlement of the city, with speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa staking land across the Missouri River illegally as early as the 1840s. When it was legal to claim land in Indian C ...


References


External links


Photo of Brown
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, William D. Pioneer history of Omaha, Nebraska Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska Businesspeople from Omaha, Nebraska 1813 births 1863 deaths Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople