Thomas R. Brown was born in Christian County, Kentucky, December 26, 1848.  He was married in his native state to Miss Frances Cayce, before coming to Texas, in 1870, stopping for a few years in Hays County, from thence to Coleman County, in 1876, arriving here in December.  He moved on past Robinson Peak to that inviting prairie north of Silver Valley and making camp on the bleak plains was caught in one of Texas characteristic blizzards, and then he retraced his wagon tracks to a point just south of the peak, on the prairie but convenient to firewood.  He settled on the Thomas Thorn survey, remaining there until his fatal illness; his death occurring on April 20, 1930, in the 83rd year of his life.  He was a life-long farmer.

     The first child born to the Browns was a son, S. E., whose birth occurred in their native state, Kentucky, but the other eight children were born on the free range of Texas.  They were W. C. and Eugene, born in Hays County, and the latter half-dozen were permitted to see the first light in Coleman County at the Brown homestead, which, by the way, is still owned by a Brown, young Joel Ogden Brown, son of our friendly County Judge, Leman Brown, recently acquired it.  There were seven sons and two daughters in the Brown family, of these, only the daughters, Miss Lorena Brown of Mineral Wells, Mrs. Tex Marler of Globe, Arizona, Judge Leman Brown of Coleman, and T. I. Brown of Lubbock, survive.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown were sojourneying together for a little more than sixty years in happy, holy wedlock, man's highest and holiest estate, and when Mr. Brown came to the end where the rainbow of hope beckons the weary traveler to a haven of rest leaving Mother Brown alone and bereft, it quite naturally followed that her yearning heart should cease its struggle and that she should join him in the home of the immortal four years later.

     Descendants of T. R. and Frances (Cayce) Brown now living in Coleman County are: J. Ogden Brown and Odell (Brown) Collins, son and daughter of Leman Brown; and Retamay (Brown) Gaines, daughter of Fenton Brown (see Felix Grundy Gaines).