Brownhelm was the first local government of any kind in the United States to elect a black man to public office; on April 2, 1855, John Mercer Langston, a black man from Virginia, became town clerk.
In the context of early American history, Brownhelm's election of John Mercer Langston as town clerk in 1855 was a groundbreaking moment; it represented a significant step forward for African Americans in public service.