Born on February 23, 1813, in Augusta, Oneida County, New York. He was converted at a revival meeting in September, 1832, was baptized by his father and joined the church. He entered upon a course of study preparatory for the ministry at the Hamilton Literary and Theological Seminary and finished his studies in 1838. On the 20th of September of the year he was ordained to the ministry and on the 26th of September, he was married to Frances Lyon at Little Falls, New York. For four years the Rev. Charles E Brown was minister of the Baptist Church at Norway and Warren, New York, after which he had the opportunity of carrying out a long cherished desire of becoming a home missionary in the west. He served in areas of New York and Iowa and then was sent by the Baptist Home Mission Society of Iowa to an area he was permitted to select. In July, 1857, he arrived in Howard County, Iowa and by August had organized the Baptist churches in Vernon Springs and Lime Springs, and was pastor for many years. His work extended all over Howard county and adjoining counties and there are few of the old pioneer schoolhouses in which he did not preach and organize Sabbath schools. He was the first superintendent of Howard County Schools and was one of the early teachers in school at Vernon Springs. In 1878 he was selected to represent his district in the state legislature, 7th General Assembly.