Brown - Ryland T.
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Saturday, 3 May 1890 Edition
Dr. Ryland T. Brown was born in Mason County, Kentucky, Oct. 5, 1807, and died in Indianapolis May 2, 1890. With his parents he removed to Clermont County, Ohio, in boyhood and in the year 1821 his parents came to this State and located in Rush County. His youth and early boyhood were spent on his father’s farm, and his elementary education was mainly acquired at the neighborhood school in charge of one of the famous old time Irish schoolmasters. After attaining his majority he commenced the study of medicine and graduated from the Ohio medical college about the year 1830. Dr. John Locke, John A Godman and Daniel Drake were instructors in the school at the time., all of whom were men of prominence in their day in their departments of physical science and medicine. After graduation he established himself in the practice of his profession in Connersville in 1831, remaining there until 1843, when he removed to Wabash with his family, and afterwards to this city in June 1844. He at once entered upon an extensive and lucrative practice in his profession which continued until 1858, when he was called to the Professorship of Chemistry in the N. W. C. University at Indianapolis, of which college he was one of the first trustees. While residing in our city, he was appointed Professor of Chemistry in the Indiana Medical College at Lafayette, which school had been removed from LaPorte. The school was suspended for a time but subsequently reorganized and established at Indianapolis and is now one of the most flourishing and useful schools in the West. In 1871 he was again called to the Professorship of Chemistry and afterward filled the Chair of Physiology, in the same institution. In 18_4 he was appointed State Geologist by Governor Joseph A. Wright and has been connected with that survey at various times until recently. He was also the author of a text book on physiology which at one time was extensively used in this and other states. In 1872 he was Chemist in Chief of the Department of Agriculture at Washington. In early life he was a Whig in politics, but became a conservative anti-slavery man, but was never identified with the Barney Abolition party.
While he regarded slavery as “the sum of all vil__” he was willing for the sake of peach and union that it should remain undisturbed until the moral sense of the Nation prepared a way for its gradual, total extinction. But to the extension of the “Peculiar institution” into new and unoccupied territory he was most earnestly opposed. In 1848 he was appointed a delegate to the Free Soil Convention held at Buffalo which place in nomination Martin VanBuren and Charles Francis Adams. In 1854 when the Republican party was organized he took a prominent place in its ranks and was active and earnest in his advocacy of its principles and in support of its candidate, Gen. Fremont. During his long life he was a sincere and efficient advocate of the cause of temperance, and devoted both his time and means to restrain and overthrow the evils of intemperance. In early manhood he boldly identified himself with the cause of Christianity and became a preacher of the Gospel; and during the many long years of his public ministration “he fought the good fight and kept the faith.” As a preacher he was clear, forcible and practical; and his appeals were made to the understanding rather than to feeling and sentiment. He was a believer in practical Christianity and to the extent of his means his hand was ever open to the relief of the needy, and his professional services always at the command of the suffering poor.
He leaves three sons and two daughters living, Theodore D. and George R. of this city, and Walter, of Indianapolis, Mrs. F. N. Johnson of Waveland, and Mrs. W. H. Wiley, of Terre Haute. Mrs. K. K. Krout, now deceased, was also a daughter. In his life and labors and character, he has left a legacy to his children above all price.