Another point of interest, and one which was of importance in the development of the county, was the building mills. The first of these was built in 1840, near the place now known as Bridgewater. It was established by William A. Cox, of Ohio, and was of course a small affair, with a capacity of only a few pounds per hour. The year following, Andrew Brown, also from Ohio, built a small mill near the present site of Graham. Its capacity was somewhat greater, five or six bushels per hour could be ground, and it had a hand bolt in addition which was turned for flour . . .

The first white man to invade the wilds of Hughes township, as now known, as well as the first in all Nodaway county, was Isaac Hogan, referred to at length in the "Early Settlement" chapter. Before going into the details of settlement in this township, the reader's attention is called to a list of many of the hardy pioneers who located here, with the dates at which they make settlement in what is now Hughes township:

In the year 1842, Andrew Brown, John Brown, Jacob Brown, Josiah Brown, Wilson Brown.

In 1843-4 Andrew Brown bought the Hogan land and built a small mill on the Elkhorn, just east of Brown's spring. This was a great relief, as it was nearby, though even then men and boys rode twelve to fifteen miles on a sack of corn laid across the horse and returned home the same day, feeling that it was a small job going to the mill. Andrew Brown afterward laid out the town of Graham, calling it Jacksonville. In 1858 or 1859 the Missouri Legislature changed the name to Graham, so that the town and the post office would be the same. In 1845 the Bridgewater mills were built by Moore & Cock, which was indeed a valuable acquisition.

The only town within Hughes township is Graham, situated eighteen miles from Maryville, two miles east of the Nodaway river and upon Elkhorn creek. It was laid out in 1856 by Andrew Brown, and originally consisted of four blocks, but in 1858 Brown laid out an addition. About the same date Linville addition to Graham was platted by Abraham and Henry Linville. In 1858 there were but two stores, dealers in general merchandise, one kept by Burns & White and the other by McFadden & Daugherty. Brand & Welch conducted a drug store and Dr. W. H. Woodard ran a hotel. At that day, as well for years before, there was a grist and sawmill operated by Wilson & Brown. This mill first directed the public's notice toward Graham.

All credit and respect is due the old pioneers who blazed the way for succeeding generations and labored unceasingly that those who should come after them might be happy and prosperous. We of the aftermath are prone to lose sight of the wonderful deeds they did and the unselfish sacrifices they made; nevertheless, all honor is due them. Such a one is John Brown, one of Nodaway county's venerable citizens, who has lived to take part in every stage of development of this locality, having come here when the wild beast and the red man roamed at will over prairie sod and through primeval woods. He was born in Jackson county Tennessee, August 23, 1824, and is the son of Andrew and Mary (Yount) Brown. The mother was a native of North Carolina, from which state she came to Tennessee with her parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Yount. John's father was a native of Sullivan county, Kentucky, who came to Tennessee with his parents, George Brown and wife. When John Brown was a boy, not over ten years of age, the family came to Clinton county, Missouri, and after remaining there one winter to Platte county and lived there ten years. In 1841 or 1842 they came to where the town of Graham, Nodaway county, is now located and the father and his children secured a section of government land, when there were but few settlers here, but there was a good supply of timber and several families were located within a few miles. At the time they did not think the prairies could or would be settled. After going a mile or two from where they settled no more houses were seen until Maryville was reached. There were no roads except Indian trails to Maryville, and of course, no bridges. The vicinity of Graham was then a part of Andrew county. There were no schools. The town of Graham was stated by Andrew Brown, who platted part of his farm and sold lots and called the place Brownsville, which name it bore until after the Civil war. The father of John Brown died in 1874, his wife having preceded him to the grave seven months. They were the parents of nine children, three of whom died in childhood, six living to maturity, Jacob Madison, John, Isaiah, Wilson G., Sarah and Nancy Emeline, wife of Rev. John Tate.

John Brown, of this review, was married February 6, 1845, to Priscilla Bohannan, daughter of Thomas and Penelope (Bartlett) Bohannan. They were married where the town of Skidmore now stands, just west of where the Christian church is now located; that was about thirty-five years before the town was started. Mr. Brown followed farming all his life, with the exception of a few years devoted to blacksmithing. His a remnant of that hardy band that crossed the dreary western plains to California in 1850 during the gold excitement, and he remained on the Pacific coast two years. His stories of those days and of the early pioneer times in this country are, indeed, instructive and fascinating. Mr. Brown was a soldier in the Confederate army during the Civil war, being under Captain Burris. He took part in the fights at Blue Mills and Lexington, both of which were severe, although not of extensive magnitude. He served four years, or through the war, and was honorably discharged. After the war he went to Nebraska where farmed several years, then came back to Nodaway county where he has since make his home.

When fourteen years old he joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and he was one of the early members of the Masonic lodge of this county and is not the oldest Mason in the county having membership here. For many years he was tyler of Skidmore Lodge, serving up to his eighty-fifth birthday. His wife was called to her reward on November 4, 1877. Nine children were born to them, named as follows: Adeline married John Mast; Andrew Jackson; Mary Ellen married George Sharp; Amanda Jane died in infancy; Elizabeth married Ephraim Tilton, of Maryville; Zelda E. married James A. Clark; Hester Cordelia is the wife of Oren Masters; George; and Frank. John Brown has eleven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild living.