Jacob Brown Sr. started a grocery business in Fort Dodge in 1870 that continued for a record breaking 95 years and in 1896 built this home near the business district—at 510 3rd Ave. S.

The Brown Grocery began operations in a store building at 15 S. 6th St. and continued in that location until 1965 when it ended nearly a century of service to customers in the city and surrounding area. During this time it was always operated by members of the Brown family.

The Third Avenue South home is now owned and occupied by Miss Rose Brown, one of only two members of the family still living.

Brown came to Fort Dodge in 1864 from Germany and shortly after arrival here enlisted in Company F of the 11th Iowa Infantry and was in service until the close of the Civil War. Returning to Fort Dodge after the war he bought the South Sixth Street property where he first had a blacksmith shop. Later he gave up this work and opened the grocery store in 1870. The two-story brick building which housed the store is now owned by Mrs. Doris Brown, widow of John Brown.

In 1864 Brown was married to Wilhelmina Schultze and they were parents of six children—Jacob Brown Jr., Louise Brown, Mrs. Kate Etzel, Mrs. Nettie Brown, Frank Brown and Mrs. Minnie B. Leiss. Two years following Mrs. Brown’s death in 1885 Brown married Henricha Becker and they were parents of five children—Rose, Anna, Amelia, John and Christine, now Mrs. Harris of Pittsburgh, Pa. She and Rose are the only survivors of the Jacob Brown family.