The son of a dry goods merchant, Brown, a Cleveland native, became one of the most important real estate developers in the city in the early twentieth century. Unfortunately, his plan to establish a mammoth retail shopping complex on the north side of Euclid Avenue between East 9th (Erie) and East 12th (Muirson) Streets faltered when he was unable to timely complete construction of the first building during the period 1901-1910. During these years he encountered financial problems when he was unable to quickly secure a large retail tenant and complete construction of that first building. This led to a number of lawsuits by partners, landowners and banks, which ultimately forced him to surrender the property and abandon the project . Shortly afterwards, after his lawyer was murdered, Brown left Cleveland and never returned. The exact date of his death is unknown, but, as of the summer of 1940, he was, according to one source, alive and living in New York City. | Source: Ancestry.com, United States Passport CollectionDownload Original File
