The plat maps for the county of DeKalb, Illinois were updated in 1871.
The lower portion of the Table of Contents lists the symbols which helps differentiate between churches and schools.
The list of county officers and supervisors lists Milan township's first supervisor, Lewis McEwen who began his position in 1857.
As you can see, Richard Pearse (R Pierce) owned the property surrounding the Browne school, which he had sold, then repurchased. The portion owned by Benjamin Gould (B.S. Gould) had been sold by the Lock family to Lyman Truman on February 3, 1870, the same day as Richard Pearse had repurchased the area surrounding the Browne school.
On March 1, 1870, Lyman Truman signed a contract with Benjamin Gould which is why (B.S. Gould) shows as the landowner north of Richard Pearse.
I do not know the reason the Milan Township District #1 received the name Browne School but it may have been for two reasons:
1) Richard Pearse and William Browne were the only original* owners of the properties around the Browne School in 1871. William purchased his property September 26, 1853; the property in section 11 owned by Nathaniel Browne was transferred to him from his brother sometime between 1853 and 1871.
2) William Browne had school age children living near the school at the time, John, Grace and Elizabeth.
Richard Pearse, wife Mary and their son Charles moved to Malta after having sold the portion of the land that contained a residence. Charles would have attended a school in Milan township. The other landowners surrounding the Browne school, Russell Huntley, Simon Duryee and James A. Hodge were not living on their respective properties in 1871 and would not have had children attending the Browne school.
1871 was also the year of the Great Chicago Fire.
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