Brownsburg History

The area now known as Brown and Lincoln Township was once unbroken wilderness along White Lick Creek and was occupied by the Delaware Indians. Settlers began to arrive in the early 1820s. The Town of Brownsburg was formed shortly after in this way:

• James B. Brown settled in Brown Township in 1824, thus becoming Brownsburg's first settler.
• William Harris started buying land along what is now the intersection of Main and Green St. in 1835. This was the foundation for the Town of Brownsburg, then called Harrisburgh.
• In 1836 the Town attempted to establish a post office and discovered another Harrisburgh existed in the State of Indiana. The name Brownsburgh was adopted.
• Brownsburgh became an incorporated town in 1848. However, a growing and struggling community during the Civil War made it difficult to maintain. The Town was incorporated a second time in 1870 and elections were held.
• In 1863 Brown Township was divided, becoming Brown Township to the North named after its first resident and Lincoln Township to the South after President Lincoln.
• In 1893, the "h" was dropped from the name, resulting in Brownsburg.

Source: "The Village of Brownsburg" by Peg Kennedy and Frankie Konovsek