Ammon Brown (January 15, 1798 – May 19, 1882) was an American politician who served two terms in the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...

. He was also instrumental in forming the

Wayne County, Michigan Wayne County is the most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2020, the United States census placed its population at 1,793,561, making it the List of the most populous counties in the United States, 19th ...

, poorhouse and asylum later known as Eloise, and served as its first keeper.

Biography

Ammon Brown was born in

Dutchess County, New York Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later o ...

, on January 15, 1798. He moved to

Wayne County, New York Wayne County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 91,283. The county seat is Lyons. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American Revolutionary War hero and American sta ...

, and then to

, in 1824, where he settled in Nankin Township. He was originally a teacher, but took up farming in Michigan. Brown was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, and was a delegate to the state's first constitutional convention in 1835 as well as the first convention of assent that rejected the terms of statehood proposed by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

. He served in the

from 1835 to 1837, and was again a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1850. He was elected auditor of Wayne County in 1847 and served for four years. Brown was supervisor of Nankin Township from 1835 to 1837 and again in 1843 and from 1847 to 1849. In 1838, as the county's superintendent of the poor, he was instrumental in moving the county poorhouse from its derelict building near Detroit to a location in Nankin Township, which later became known as Eloise. He served as the asylum's first keeper, though he did not live on the premises. He moved to the village of

Wayne, Michigan Wayne is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Wayne is located about southwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,713. Wayne has a long history of autom ...

, in 1854, was its first treasurer after it was officially organized in 1869, and served as its president in 1870. Brown died in Wayne on May 19, 1882.

Notes

References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Ammon 1798 births 1882 deaths People from Michigan Territory Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Delegates to the 1835 Michigan Constitutional Convention Delegates to the 1850 Michigan Constitutional Convention 19th-century members of the Michigan Legislature