EDWARD ALLEN BROWN, proprietor of the Brown Hotel at Middletown, is a native of Orange County, having been born in the town of Greenville on December 7, 1840. His residence in Middletown dates from 1888, when he purchased the Russell House and conducted it under that name until the spring of 1908, when the new brick building, erected on the site of the old structure, was completed. This hotel now known as the "Brown," is one of the largest and best equipped hostelries in eastern New York, and has a large patronage. Mr. Brown has owned and conducted hotels in New York City, New Orleans, La., Logansport, Ind., and Port Jervis, N. Y. For two years he held the office of under sheriff of Orange County; was sergeant-at-arms in the Assembly during a part of the Tilden administration; was assistant journal clerk the first year of Cleveland's administration, and was purchasing agent for the New York State Prison under Warden W. R. Brown.
R. T. BROWN, senior member of the firm of Brown & Whitten, merchants at Pine Bush, N. Y., is a native of New York City. The firm continued the business established by Taylor & Howell. Mr. Brown was associated for two years with Mr. Howell under the firm name of Howell & Brown. Mr. Brown then conducted the business alone five years, and in 1907 the present partnership was formed.
Socially Mr. Brown is a member of the Knights of Pythias, he married Miss Elizabeth Decker and they are the parents of three children.
U. GRANT BROWN is of Welsh descent, his ancestors coming from Wales to America in 1650, settled on Long Island at a place then called Oyster Bonds and now Glen Port. He was born July 28, 1863, at Burnside, Orange County, and farming has always been his occupation. His education was obtained at the district school of Burnside. His parents were Daniel T. and Lucretia Brown. Of their five children only two are living, U. Grant and Linus W. The latter resides in New Orleans, La. U. Grant was married to Anna Sinsabaugh, of Cornwall, N. Y., March 27, 1889, and three children have been born to them—Edna, Josephine and Helen.
WILLIAM WISNER BUCKBEE has the distinction of having been born at Wisner, Orange County, in the old stone house, which has been in the family one hundred and forty years. The date of his birth was July 12, 1861. He was educated in the district school, began active life as a farmer, and remained a farmer until his death, November 19, 1886. He also dealt in coal and feed at Wisner. He was postmaster there twenty years, was treasurer of Locust Hill Cemetery, and being a popular republican and good citizen, held several town offices at various times. He was a grandson of Captain John Wisner. He was married to H. Elizabeth Wisner, October 7, 1885, and their seven children are all living—Emma, Albert, Anna Buckbee, William, Francis, Henry and Louise.
AUSTIN C. BULL, who was born in the Governor Clinton homestead in the town of New Windsor in 1855, has always made his home at this historic spot, superintending his farm of three hundred and nine acres. He is a descendant of an old and honored Orange County family. William Bull, the first of that name in this county, was born at Wolverhampton, England, in 1689. He came to America in 1715 and a year later married Sarah Wells, of Goshen, which was the first marriage ceremony performed in the old town of Goshen. He died in 1755 and she died in 1796, aged one hundred and two years. In 1868 an appropriate monument was erected over the remains of the venerable couple near Hamptonburgh Church by their descendants. The father of Austin C. was John Springstead Bull, a son of Isaac and grandson of John Bull, a native of Hamptonburgh. J. S. Bull was born in the town of Monroe in 1809. When a boy he entered the employ of David H. Moffat, a merchant of Washingtonville, and in 1832 purchased the business. He married the daughter of Samuel and Bethiah (Reeder) Moffat, of the town of Blooming Grove. He purchased the Clinton property in 1840 and the couple resided there until their death, the former in 1876 and the latter in 1889. Mr. Austin C. Bull is a member of Blooming Grove Congregational Church and is identified with Washingtonville Grange.
CHARLES R. BULL, a prominent citizen of Orange County, residing near Oxford Depot, is a descendant in the fifth generation of William Bull and Sarah Wells, the pioneers who settled in this county in the middle of the eighteenth century, to whom frequent reference is made in this history.
Charles R. was born at the Blooming Grove homestead in 1838 and is a son of Jesse and Caroline (Board) Bull. After completing his studies at Chester Academy he attended a private school at Bloomfield, N. J., for three years. He then engaged in the management of his farms, which comprise four hundred and forty-eight acres. In public life Mr. Bull has served as supervisor four years. He was appointed by Governor Odell, during his second term, loan commissioner of Orange County and is the present incumbent of that office.
Mr. Bull is a director of the Chester National Bank, of which his father was one of the incorporators. He is also a director of the Columbus Trust Company, Newburgh, and vice-president of the Orange and Rockland Electric Company of Monroe.
Mr. Bull married Harriet, daughter of Jesse Roe, of Chester, and they are the parents of one son and two daughters: Jesse, who resides at home; Caroline, now the wife of Clarence S. Knight; Mary, the wife of S. B. Patterson.