Melville C. Brown

Melville C. Brown
Judge of the United States Territorial District Court for the District of Alaska
In office 1900–1904
Appointed by	William McKinley
Preceded by	Charles S. Johnson
Succeeded by	Royal Arch Gunnison
Member of the Idaho Territorial House of Representatives
In office 1863–1864
Constituency	Boise County
Personal details
Born	(1838-08-16)August 16, 1838 Kennebec County, Maine, U.S.
Died	April 9, 1928(1928-04-09) (aged 89) Laramie, Wyoming, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Nancy W. Fillmore ​ (m. 1874)​
Children	4
Profession	Attorney

Melville Cox Brown (August 16, 1838 – April 9, 1928) was an American politician and jurist.

Biography

Brown was born on August 16, 1838, on a farm in Kennebec County, Maine, near Augusta, the son of Captain Enoch and Sarah S. (née Reed) Brown, the former supposedly a descendent of Mayflower passenger Peter Browne. He grew up in Maine before heading West at eighteen, settling in Oroville, California, before moving to Florence, Idaho Territory, in 1862. The following year, he moved to Centerville, where he studied law under a Judge Kelley, and was elected as a Republican to represent Boise County in the Idaho Territorial House of Representatives. Brown was then appointed by President Lincoln as assistant assessor of internal revenue for the territory, and became assessor when his superior, Calvin Bodfish, died.

After having success as a mining investor, Brown relocated to Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, in 1867, to practice law. The following year, he moved his practice to Laramie, which would remain his home for over thirty years. He married Nancy W. Fillmore in Laramie on May 20, 1870, and they would have three daughters. In 1873, Brown was elected to the Wyoming legislature, and he would later serve a term as mayor of Laramie.