J. Downer was born in Switzerland.

The evidence

• “J. li. DOWNER was born in Switzerland April 21, 1848; came to Wisconsin in the fall of 1869, and located at Beloit, where he engaged in farming, after which he learned the milling business, and in March, 1879, went into partnership with Mr. Stoddard.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/18-bios-beloit.md, PDF p. 740 / book p. 744

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources