Elisha Rhodes Brown was born in Providence R.I. on March 28, 1847, The fourth child of Colville Dana and Mary (Rhodes) Brown. Colville Brown came to Dover in 1850 to work as a printer in the Cochecho Print Works and he brought his family, including 3 year old Elisha, with him. After finishing public school in Dover, Elisha went to work as a clerk in the dry goods store Trickey & Bickford. Four years later, in December of 1867, he began his banking career as clerk at the Strafford National Bank. He rose steadily through the ranks and in 1897 he was elected President of the bank and held that position until he died in 1922.
Elisha Brown married Frances Bickford of Dover on Oct. 18, 1870. She was the daughter of Dr. Alphonso and Mary (Smith) Bickford. Dr. Bickford had died about a year before the marriage and Elisha and Fannie moved in with Mrs. Bickford at the big home which she owned at 50 Silver Street and Elisha remained here for the rest of his life. Mr. Brown served as president of the Concord & Portsmouth Railroad and as a director of the Boston & Maine Railroad. He was also a director of the Cocheco Manufacturing Co., a trustee of the Dover Public Library and president of the trustees of Franklin Academy.
His wife Frances died Nov. 10, 1918 and Elisha died Dec. 25, 1922.
Elisha and Frances Brown had four sons:
Alphonso Bickford Brown – born Jan 23., 1872 – graduated from Yale in 1894 and Harvard Medical School in 1897 – practiced in Newburyport, Mass. – married Edith Huse of Newburyport Oct. 3, 1899 – died Oct. 17, 1906.
Harold Winthrop Brown – born Nov. 8, 1875, graduated from Harvard in 1897 – married Katherine Van Hovenberg – went into banking and became president of both the Strafford National Bank and the Strafford Savings Bank – died April 12, 1956.
Twin sons Philip Carter Brown and Raymond Gould Brown – born Aug. 27, 1885 – both graduated from Harvard- Raymond also graduated from Harvard Law School and practiced in New York City. He married Juliette Duxbury. Raymond died Oct. 23, 1932. Philip married Marquerite L. Williams, daughter of Frank Williams of Dover and entered his father-in-law’s business I.B. Williams & Sons and became president of that company in 1920. He lived at 98 Silver Street in a house built for him by his father-in-law. Philip died Feb. 17, 1960.
Photograph from Dover Public Library archives, text from Marston, Robert, Dover, NH: People, Businesses and Organizations: 1850 to 1950. Dover, NH, 2004.