Joseph Brown House Ruins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Joseph Brown House Ruins
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Ruins of Joseph R. Brown's house, burned in 1862
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sacred Heart Township, Renville County, Minnesota, USA |
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| Nearest city | Sacred Heart, Minnesota |
| Built | 1861 |
| Architect | Leopold Wohler |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002838 |
| Added to NRHP | August 3, 1986 |
The Joseph R. Brown State Wayside Rest is a special place in Renville County, Minnesota. It's a rest area along a National Scenic Byway, which is a road known for its beautiful views. You can find it south of Sacred Heart, Minnesota, on Renville County Highway 15. This site is famous for the stone ruins of a large house that once belonged to a very important person named Joseph R. Brown.
Contents
The Brown Family Home
The main feature of the Wayside Rest is the granite ruins of Joseph R. Brown's home. This house was built in 1861. It was a very impressive three-story mansion for its time. Most homes built by early American settlers, called pioneers, were much smaller.
Life at the Mansion
Joseph R. Brown lived in this big house with his wife and their twelve children. His wife had Native American heritage. Their home was known as a friendly and welcoming place. It was a center for hospitality along the Minnesota River Valley. Many travelers and neighbors would stop by.
Destruction of the Home
Sadly, the Brown family's mansion was destroyed during the Dakota War of 1862. This happened on August 19, 1862. The house was burned down during the conflict. Luckily, Joseph Brown's family was safe because of his wife's Native American background.
Who Was Joseph R. Brown?
Joseph R. Brown was a very busy and important person in Minnesota's early history. He had many different jobs and roles throughout his life.
A Man of Many Talents
Brown was a politician, which means he was involved in government and making laws. He was also an inventor, creating new things. He worked as a publisher, which involves printing books or newspapers. Another important role he had was as an Indian Agent. An Indian Agent was a government official who worked with Native American tribes. They were supposed to help manage relations between the government and the tribes.
