 He continued to be politically active, holding numerous state and local appointments and offices.Most notably he served as Dallas's mayor from 1885 to 1887.From 1880 until his death in 1895, Brown wrote and edited several books on the history of the region, including "The History of Dallas County, 1837-1887," "The Life and Times of Henry Smith," "Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas," and "The History of Texas from 1685 to 1892".