A Remarkable Kentucky Family -- Munfordville KY
N 37° 16.289 W 085° 53.411
16S E 598396 N 4125565
This Munfordville historical marker about the Brown family details the exploits of several generations of this prominent family
Waymark Code: WM15T5V
Location: Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: 02/21/2022
Views: 3
This Munfordville historical marker stands along the west side of the Hart County Courthouse along the US 31W in downtown Munfordville. It is FASCIONATING that if you did not already know that the Brown family are famed distillers of KY Bourbon whiskey, you would not learn this from this historical marker. Blasters are not sure if this is modesty, a nod to anti-alcohol sympathies in the area, or something else - but it seems like pretty relevant information about these folks to us.
Marker reads as follows:
"[Seal of the city of Munfordville]
A REMARKABLE KENTUCKY FAMILY
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This village’s first postmaster and a charter member of the Munfordville Presbyterian Church, John Thomas St., Brown (1793-1875) is the forebear of a remarkable and internationally known Kentucky family. William and Hannah St., Brown settled 1,000 acres on Nolin River North of here in 1792. Their son, J.T.S. Brown, about 435 acres, later called “Summer Lea,” three miles west of here. After his marriage to Elizabeth Creel, daughter of Elijah and Ermine Creel, whose house off Old Street overlooks the river, he and his wife built their brick home north of the Creel house. Their 3rd child, J.T S. Brown, Jr., born here in 1829, married Emily Graham in 1856. After moving to Louisville, they returned many summers to the family retreat at “Summer Lea.”
After his first wife’s death in 1839, J.T.S. Brown, Sr. married Mary Jane Garvin. Their son, George Garvin Brown, was born here in 1846. George Garvin Brown married Amelia Owsley, granddaughter of Governor William Owsley.
During the Civil War, George Garvin Brown moved to Louisville. Beginning in 1870, he formed, with partners including his half-brother J.T.S. Brown, Jr., the company that would become known from 1890 to present as “Brown-Forman.” His descendants still own the majority of this international, public company and have long been involved in leading its growth. Current family members of the company and its board are the great-great-great-great-grandchildren of William and Hannah St., Brown, who settled north of here 216 years ago.
Courtesy of the Munfordville Tourism Commission 2008"
Marker Name: A Remarkable Kentucky Family
Marker Location: City
Type of Marker: Person
Marker Number (for official markers): -blank-
Group(s) Responsible for placing Marker:
Munfordville Tourism Commission, 2008
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Visit Instructions:
A picture of the site or anything specific to the text on marker.