James Arthur Brown was born the 18th of June 1871, in Draper, Salt Lake County, Utah. He was the son of Joseph Gurnsey Brown and Esther Brown Brown.
Joseph Gurnsey was a farmer and a freighter. By the time James Arthur was born, there were in the three families, nineteen brothers and sisters. He being the twentieth child of his father. He was born after his father had moved his first and third wives and their families to the Muddy Mission in Nevada. They later settled in Kanab.
James Arthur was called Jim by everyone so that is the name he went by for the rest of his life. His first ten years were spent in Draper with his mother and family. She passed away in 1881 and he was brought to Kanab to live with his father and his first wife, Harriett.
Jim's schooling was started at Draper and and commenced at Kanab through the eighth grade. In the year 1895-96, he attended the Brigham Young Academy.
When the issuing of talents was done, Jim Brown received a good hand-out. He has cultivated them to the best of his ability. As he came into his teens he was known as the life of the crowd. He liked dramatics and he was in many plays. He liked to play the villain. He spent ten years on the committee of the "Home Dramatic Players". His favorite recreation was dancing. Jim also liked to sing. He belonged to the Kanab Ward Choir for many years and traveled through the county with a male quartet, stumping for the Republican Party.
On the 25th of May, 1898, he married Emily Vilate Pugh, daughter of Edward Pugh and Elizabeth Kelly, in the St. George Temple.
Five months later Jim received a call to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He entered the Mission Home and was set apart for the California Mission the 2nd of November, 1898. On the 22 March 1899. Jim received word that Emily had a baby daughter and soon received another telegram that his wife was ill. He left the mission on 31st of March and arrived home the 7th day of April after his wife had passed away.
He returned to the mission field and completed his mission.
On March 17, 1903 Jim married Pearl Edna Pugh in the St. George Temple.
Jim was very civic minded. In 1906-1909, he was clerk for the town. In 1907 and 1908, he was Kane County Sheriff, during this time, he helped solve a murder case. he held the position of Deputy Sheriff for four more years. He was the water master and worked on the irrigation board for many years. He helped build the "new" Kanab dam. In 1920, Jim was appointed Deputy Marshall for Kanab Town. and 1930-32 he was a member of the city council. He was the first Soil Conservation Committee chairman organized in Kane County. He was also a farmer and livestock man.
On March 18, 1942, he lost his companion, Pearl Edna and on New Years day, 1947, he became seriously ill. In July of that year his right leg was amputated just below the knee. In July 1948 his left leg was amputated just above the knee. The last nine years his life was spent from the bed to wheel chair. Jim finally won his battle on the September 29, 1957. He was buried in the Kanab cemetery between his two wives. He had eleven children with eight surviving him at time of death.