Reuben Brown (1805-1859) and Sarah Parker Brown (1807-1852) came from Illinois to settle here in 1833. Their oldest son, John Brown (1837-1921), lived his entire life within a mile of Old Fort Brown, his birthplace. In 1865, when John deeded two acres to Houston County for a church and school, his parents had already been buried at the site that his mother-in-law, Mary Murchison (1814-1903), chose to call "Refuge." Jim Brown (1858-1932), son of Reuben and his second wife, Amanda (Ross) Hogue (b. 1822), gave one more acre for cemetery use in 1889. Today, an association cares for this burial ground, which preserves a portion of Houston County's heritage.