Matthew Storey, Brownsville

Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Fayette County by Gresham and Wiley,
1889, p302
 Matthew Storey, the popular proprietor of the well known Storey House of
Brownsville, was born in England, August 29, 1839. He is a son of Matthew
Storey and Elizabeth Palmer Storey, both natives of the town of Early in
Cambridgeshire, England.
 His father, Matthew Storey, came from England to Seneca Falls, New York, in
1847, and remained there until 1851 when he removed to Brownsville. Here he
worked for severa years in Snowden�s machine shops. He was born in 1800 and
died in 1870. His wife survived him until 1882 when she died. They were both
members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
 Matthew Storey learned the trade of machine blacksmith under John Snowden,
and continued with him for five years. In 1859 he learned the trade of
steamboat engineer, and continued in that calling for twenty years on the
Mississippi river and its tributaries.
He was at New Orleans when Fort Sumter was fired on, and saw the first
Confederate troops from Louisiana leave for Richmond. He was assistant
engineer on the �New Falls City,� which with the �Capital� carried the
Confederate troops from New Orleans who captured the United States arsenal
at Baton Rouge. The guns were taken from the �New Falls City� and placed on
the Confederate fortifications at Columbus, Kentucky. From this place he
walked to Bird�s Point on the Ohio River opposite Cairo, Illinois, and from
there came home via St Louis.
 After a two months� stay, he returned to St Louis and engaged as an
engineer on a government transportation boat, continued in this line of work
until nearly the close of the war. He was on the Cumberland river and was at
Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and Pittsburg Landing when the transport fleet
returned to and passed down the Mississippi river. He was present at the
siege of Vicksburg, In October, 1864, he engaged as engineer on the �H O
Homayer,� a boat owned and operated by the cotton firm of Parkman, Brooks &
Co of Memphis, Tennessee. This boat plied for seven months on the Washita
and Yazoo rivers.
 He was chief engineer on different boats for sixteen years after the war
closed. In 1881 he returned to Brownsville and engaged in the hotel
business. He conducted the Bar House for three years, and afterwards
purchased the Storey House.
 Mr Storey was married in 1860 to Miss Julia Baker of Brownsville, a
daughter of Charles Baker of St Clairsville, Ohio. They have six children,
four sons and two daughters: Albert Storey, Margaret Storey, Louis Storey,
Charles Storey, Blanch Storey, and Matthew Storey Jr.
 He is a member of the I O R M and has been a Mason for twenty two years. In
political affairs he is a democrat.
 The Storey House when he purchased it was known as the Snowden House. He
placed an additional story on the building and remodeled it throughout. It
is now one of the best hotels in the county. Mr Storey is a popular and
accommodating landlord, and one of the prominent citizens of Brownsville.