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A Tribute to a Special Brother
Jacob V. Brower
by Peter P. Kloskowski, PM

Some time ago, the phone rang, and a
friend of many years said, "I know you
belong to the Masonic Lodge, and I am
looking for some information about a
man who also was a Mason, and at one
time belonged to your Lodge. "What is
his name? Maybe I can help, " I replied.
"Well here's the deal, he's dead, but we
want to know if he was a Civil War
veteran, as he is buried in an unmarked
grave in North Star Cemetery, here in St.
Cloud, and hopefully we could get finan-
cial assistance from the Veterans Admin-
istration toward the cost of a monument
for him. " "Well, " I responded, "I'll see
what I can find out, it will take me a few
days. "

After a few hours spent searching the
archives of the Lodge, I came up with the
right name, and some other interesting
information. Armed with the above, and
some help from my friend, I went to the
Stearns County Historical Society, and
with their help, and a lot of digging, the
gaps were eventually filled in.

The man was Jacob Vrandenberg
Brower. He was born on a coldJanuary
21, 1844, in York Township, Washtenaw
County, Michigan, to Abraham D. and
Mary (Stevens) Brower. The ancestors of
the Browers immigrated from Holland
where the name was spelled " Brouwer, "
but when arriving in New Amsterdam,
New York in 1642, it was changed to
"Brower." In May of 1860 the Brower
family moved to Todd County, Minne-
sota, and settled on a farm in Round
Prairie Township, a few miles south of
Long Prairie. After a limited education
in the area district school, Jacob contin-
ued his education with tutoring from his
father, Abraham, who was highly edu-
cated.

At the young age of 17, Brower became
a teacher, and although his education
continued, the Sioux Indian uprising
and the Civil War intervened.

At the age of 18, on October 16, 1862,
Brower enlisted in Company "D" of the
First Regiment of Mounted Rangers,
Minnesota Volunteers, and during the
uprising was in the battles of Big Mound
July 24, 1863, Dead Buffalo Lake, July
26, Stony LakeJuly 28, and Apple C reek
July 29. The Company was mustered
out, and he was discharged in November
of 1863.

He then worked for the U. S. Govern-
ment for a short time as a civilian em-
ployee at Duval's Bluff, Arkansas.

He then enlisted in the Navy, where he
served on the ironclad ship " Exchange, "
a steamer that patrolled the lower Mis-
sissippi River. This ship was part of the
"Mosquito Fleet" in which Admiral
Farragut also served. He was discharged
inAugust, 1865.

Returning to Long Prairie after his dis-
charge, Brower became the first auditor
of Todd County, and served from 1867
until 1871. In 1867 he met and married
his wife, Armina Shava. She died at the
age of 59, and is buried in the family plot
at North Star Cemetery.

In 1873 Brower was admitted to the
Bar, having already served in the Min-
nesota Legislature as representative
from the 41st District, as Todd County
attorney, and for a short time as County
Superintendent of Schools. In 1873 he
moved to St. Cloud, where he was ap-
pointed register of the U. S. Land Of fice,
a position which he held until 1879.

Jacob and Armina had two children,
Ripley and Josephine.

Ripley P. Brower was a prominent at-
torney in St. Cloud, and also a member
of North Star Masonic Lodge there. Jo-
sephine was a member of the faculty of
St. Cloud Normal School, now St. Cloud
University. She was made an Honorary
Member of the Women's Club in Min-
neapolis, a very exclusive women's club.
She also wrote a book on art, and another
called "English Modes of Folk Danc-
ing," a subject that she was very inter-
ested in.

Jacob V. Brower was a member of
North Star Masonic Lodge

in St. Cloud, and served as Senior War-
den in 1877. In 1880 he became the
editor of The Stearns Tribune in Sauk Cen-
ter and was commissioned to build a
raiiroad from Sauk Center to Perham via
Long Prairie. The railroad was named
the Sauk Center Northern Railway. J. V.
Brower was its first president. It was later
purchased by "The Empire Builder,"
James J. Hill, and incorporated into
what was called the "K" Line, running
from Sauk Center through Long Prairie,
Browerville, Wadena, Park Rapids and
Walker, to Cass Lake. Browerville, five
miles north of Long Prairie, was named
after Brower, and a plaque was dedicated
in his honor in 1939.

Jacob was an accomplished land sur-
veyor, topographer, geographer, archae-
ologist, writer, legislator, and public ser-
vant. In 1889, Jacob Brower was com-
missioned by the Minnesota Historical
Society to " Examine, and survey the
source of the Mississippi River. " He
mapped and surveyed the basin of Lake
Itasca, and through his extensive notes,
proved that Lake Itasca was truly the
source of the Mississippi, and disproved
Captain Willard Glazier's claim of Elk
Lake as the source. He also mapped and
surveyed the ultimate source of the Mis-
souri River, and traced the route that
Coronado took in 1541 in his exploration
of what is now the southwestern part of
the United States. For the next two
years, he fought the lumber interests
who were clear-cutting the northern
Minnesota forests. On April 20, 1891, a
bill was passed, and Itasca State Park
and the Minnesota State Park system
became a reality.

Without Brower's accomplishments
the state park system in Minnesota
would not be what it is today. He was the
father of the park system, and the
founder of Itasca State Park. He sacri-
ficed many hours, and much of his
wealth, to preserve Itasca Park for future
generations. He was appointed the first
commissioner of that park, serving in
that position for the next four years. But
opposition from the lumbering interests
was such that the legislature did not ap-
propriate funds for his salary, and he was
never paid.

During the time that Brower was editor
of The Stearns Tribune at Sauk Center, a
dispute arose over the ownership of the
paper between Jacob Brower and W. C.
Brower, and a lengthy lawsuit ensured,
after which Jacob left, and became in-
volved with one of the earliest newspa-
pers in St. Cloud, the St. Cloud Tribune.

Jacob V. Brower wrote numerous
books, theses, and monographs during
his lifetime, including many about early
Indians, and their customs, a subject
that interested him immensely. Some of
his most important were the following:
The Mississippi and Its Sources (1893), The
Missouri River and Its Utmost Sources
(1896), Quiuira (1898), Exploration in the
Basin of the Mississippi (1898-1904),
Harahey (1899), Mille Lac (1900), Kathio
(1901), Kakabikansing ( 190 2), Kansas
Monumental Perpetuation of Its Earliest His-
toy (1903), Minnesota Description of Its Area
from 15~0 to 1665 (1903), Mandan (1904)
and Itasca StatePark ( 1904). Many notes, and
manuscripts were lost in a fire in St. Paul.

Brower was truly a remarkable man,
and literally went from the plow handle
to a place of high position, trust, honor,
and profit during his colorful lifetime.
His picture appears on the current Min-
nesota State Park Sticker, which is used
for admittance to the state parks in this
centennial year.

Brother Jacob Vrandenberg Brower

The Philalethes, A pril I 993
died onJune 1st, 1905, and is buried in
North Star Cemetery beside his wife,
Armina. On June 8, 1991, a horse-
drawn centennial train of covered wag-
ons, with the participants dressed in
Civil War attire, started from the Capitol
Building in St. Paul, and made its way,
after several stops enroute, to St. Cloud.
Where a historical marker was unveiled
and dedicated at the graveslte of Brother
Jacob Brower. It then proceeded to
Itasca State Park, arriving there onJune
23, to celebrate the centennial of the
park. The dedication program at North
Star Cemetery started off with a prayer
given by the Centennial Wagon Train
Minister. Many members of North Star
Masonic Lodge #23, where Brother
Jacob was once a member and served as
Senior Warden, were in attendance to
witness this historical moment. Several
speeches were given from the podium,
on the chapel steps. One of the most
dynamic speakers at the dedication was
Right Worshipful Brother Edward
Waldon, Deputy Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Minnesota, A . F. &A . M .
Richard Brower, a great-grandson of
Brother Jacob Brower was then intro-
duced. Mrs. Ripley Brower II (Mildred)
was not able to attend because of her
health. The entourage then proceeded
north across the road, where a red pine
was planted to honor this great humani-
tarian byRichard Brower, (great-grand-
son), Donald Moore, (great- nephew)
and his wife Lucille. Also assisting were
Romauld, and Rachael Thibault, rela-
tives of the Moores.

Following the tree ceremony, the group
walked several hundred yards up the
steep road to a well-kept, grassy knoll,
where the five foot veiled historic monu-
ment stood out brightly in the afternoon
sun. Beneath three large pine trees,
swaying gently in the breeze, which
Jacob's son, Ripley had planted many
years before, were two stones, one of
which read: "Jacob V. Brower 1844-
1905, " with the Masonic emblem on the
left, and- the GAR [Grand Army of the
Republic, a Union Veterans' associa-
tion] emblem on the right, with the years
1861-1865 inscribed on it. The other
read: "Armina E (Shava) 1845-1904. "

Richard Brower and Donald Moore
unveiled the beautiful dark grey monu-
ment, crafted from St. Cloud Granite by
Monumental Sales Craftsmen of St.
Cloud. On the top was a picture of Jacob
Brower, and at the bottom and left side
were etchings of the pines and shores of
the source of the Mississippi River, with
a post that read: "Here 1475 feet above
the ocean the mighty Mississippi begins
to flow on its winding way 2552 miles to
the Gulf of Mexico. " In the center was
inscribed, "JacobV. Brower, Founderof
Itasca State Park, and the Minnesota
State Park System," and the other read,
"The park will soon contain the only
tract of standing pine within the borders
of the state, and this forest reservation
will become easily accessible and of great
value as a public resort. " Richard
Brower said a few words, and thanked
the people for their generosity and par-
ticipation. Charlie Maguire, the official
centennial troubadour, played his guitar
and sang "Itasca," while all in atten-
dance joined in. As the last faint echo
could be heard, the crowd, silently, and
somberly dispersed. A beautiful epitaph
for a great Minnesotan.

Printed Sources ol Information:

Archives of North Star Lodge No. 23.
Brower File, Stearns County Historical Society.

Burnquist. Minncsota Authors. Minnesota Histori-
cal Society, 1949.
Mitchell, History of Stearns County, 1911.

Munro, J . C . Minncsota and Its Pcoplc, Vol . I, 1924 .
Munro, J. C. North StarJubilcc 1857-1907.

Winchell, N. H. Aoorigincs of Minncsota, 1911.
Interviews

Peter Boatman, Caretaker, North Star Cemetery.
John Decker and Robert Lommell, Stearns
County. Historical Society Staff.
Romauld and Rachel Thibault.

Personal observation at the complete Monument
dedication program.
