From History of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - 1881, Volume 1, Page 615-616

JOHN A. BROWN, the last editor of the Courier, was born in Canandaigua, New York, November 10, 1812.  He attended the common schools, and learned the printer's trade at Batavia, working upon Morgan's famous book on Free Masonry.  At the age of 19 he became editor of the Hartford (Conn.) Intelligencer.  Young BROWN next took to the sea, and, when second officer of a ship, was nearly wrecked on the coast of South America.  In 1837 he returned from his sea wanderings, and with his brother, Beriah, published the Democrat at Tecumseh, Mich.  The next year he went to Niles, and published the Intelligencer with C. C. BRITT.  After making successive attempts at getting a foothold in Galena, Rockford, and Chicago, he came to Milwaukee in 1843, and until 1847 published the Courier.  Mr. BROWN next established newspapers at Port Washington, Janesville, and Portage.  In 1846 while residing at the latter place, he was appointed Postmaster by President Buchanan; he held the position for two terms.  Mr. BROWN was one of the prime and most earnest movers in the establishment of the Wisconsin Editorial Association.  With Charles HOLT and S. M. BOOTH he was appointed a Committee, on behalf of the Editors' Convention, to go before the Legislature and urge the enactment of laws in regard to the rates of legal publications.  He arrived at Madison February 2, and stopped with his brother.  Here, on the second day of his visit, while apparently in the best of health, he was stricken with paralysis, and died in six days afterwards, quietly and peacefully, as become one who had labored long and faithfully.

Submitted by Carol