Scanned newspaper page from Image 8 of The Bismarck tribune (Bismarck, N.D.), January 12, 1917, 1917-01-12 (Library of Congress, Chronicling America)
Scanned newspaper page from Image 8 of The Bismarck tribune (Bismarck, N.D.), January 12, 1917, 1917-01-12 (Library of Congress, Chronicling America)

People

James Brown

James Brown was a cattle breeder and farm owner based in Dundee, Illinois, active during the WWI Era. He is documented as a Shorthorn cattle producer of regional note, with a herd sufficiently regarded to warrant inclusion in a major Chicago livestock sale alongside prominent national breeders. Little else is currently known of his biography, and no birth or death dates have been confirmed.

Scanned newspaper page from Image 8 of The Bismarck tribune (Bismarck, N.D.), January 12, 1917, 1917-01-12 (Library of Congress, Chronicling America)
Scanned newspaper page from Image 8 of The Bismarck tribune (Bismarck, N.D.), January 12, 1917, 1917-01-12 (Library of Congress, Chronicling America) | Source: Library of Congress, Chronicling America

Known Activities

According to a January 1917 notice in The Bismarck Tribune, James Brown of Dundee, Illinois was consigning twenty head of Shorthorn cattle to a major livestock sale scheduled for January 30–31, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois. (Source: bismarck-tribune-1917-01-12-p8)

The Brown offering reportedly consisted of young bulls and females with bloodlines traced to the champion sire King Secret — an indication that Brown's operation was oriented toward quality breeding stock rather than commercial beef production. The inclusion of his consignment alongside the dispersal of the entire herd of W. J. Hill of Northcote, Minnesota — son of the railroad magnate James J. Hill — suggests that Brown held a credible standing among Shorthorn breeders of the period.

Catalog inquiries for the sale were directed to F. W. Harding, 13 Dexter Park Avenue, Chicago. (Source: bismarck-tribune-1917-01-12-p8)

No additional records of Brown's farm, its exact location within or near Dundee, or the subsequent history of his herd have yet been identified in sources held by The Kiln.

Timeline

DateEvent
January 12, 1917The Bismarck Tribune publishes notice of upcoming Chicago Shorthorn sale, naming Brown as a consignor
January 30–31, 1917Shorthorn Cattle Sale, Chicago, 1917 held at Chicago; Brown's twenty head offered alongside W. J. Hill dispersal herd
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Notes & Uncertainties

  • The article references "Dundee, Illinois" without specifying East Dundee or West Dundee. The connection to East Dundee is plausible given the shared locality, but should be confirmed against additional records.
  • No first name beyond "James Brown" appears in the source; this is a common name, and care should be taken not to conflate this individual with other persons of the same name in the region.
  • The champion sire King Secret is mentioned but not described further in the source; his lineage and significance within Shorthorn breeding circles of the period has not yet been cross-referenced.

Sources

  • bismarck-tribune-1917-01-12-p8 — The Bismarck Tribune (Bismarck, N.D.), January 12, 1917, Image 8. Library of Congress, Chronicling America. View source