Emma Brown, co-founder of The (Fort Atkinson) Wisconsin Chief, was the first successful female editor and publisher in Wisconsin.
Born on Nov. 6, 1827, in Auburn, N.Y., she and her brother, Thurlow W. Brown, first published the newspaper in Auburn under the name The Cayuga Chief. In 1856, they moved to Fort Atkinson, changing its name to The Wisconsin Chief.
After Thurlow died in 1866, Emma continued to publish Fort Atkinson’s first newspaper on her own. When W.D. Hoard first came to the area, he turned to Brown to print his Jefferson County Union until he was able to raise the funds needed to buy his own printing plant.
Originally devoted to upholding the ideal of temperance, under Emma’s leadership the Chief began to include more reform pieces, such as articles on prison conditions, factory conditions and women’s suffrage.
Emma continued to print the Chief until just before her death in 1889.
