author

Adna Brown

1828–1901

A Vermont businessman and public figure, he turned an ambitious late-19th-century journey into a lively travel book that carries readers from New England to the eastern Mediterranean and back through Europe. His writing mixes firsthand impressions with the practical eye of someone used to organizing things in the real world.

1 Audiobook

From Vermont to Damascus : Returning by way of Beyrout, Smyrna, Ephesus, Athens, Constantinople, Budapest, Vienna, Paris, Scotland, and England

From Vermont to Damascus : Returning by way of Beyrout, Smyrna, Ephesus, Athens, Constantinople, Budapest, Vienna, Paris, Scotland, and England

by Adna Brown

About the author

Born in Antrim, New Hampshire, in 1828, Adna Brown became closely associated with Springfield, Vermont, where he built a reputation as a businessman and civic leader. Records connected with his life show that he was active in Vermont public affairs and was remembered strongly enough in Springfield that the Adna Brown Hotel later carried his name.

Brown is best known to readers today for From Vermont to Damascus (1895), a travel narrative based on an extended journey through places including the Middle East and Europe. The book stands out for its mix of observation, itinerary detail, and practical advice for fellow travelers, giving it the feel of both a personal account and a useful guide.

He died in 1901. While not a household name now, Brown offers an interesting glimpse of a 19th-century American traveler whose curiosity, public life, and sense of place all found their way into his writing.