William F. Brown

Job Title(s)

Watchman, Carder, Laborer

Dates of Employment

c. 1890-1896

Last Name  Brown 
First Name  William  
Middle Initial  Franklin 
Born  Feb 1856 in Arkansas 
Home Address 

(1890) 

 Broadway SE cor Oak 
Died  21 December 1933 in Bend, OR 
Place Buried  Swede Flats Lutheran Cemetery in Fort Spokane, WA. 
Spouse  Ellen Layson 
Date of Marriage  16 Mar 1878 
Children  Martin Earl Brown, James D. Brown, Thomas Elbert Brown
Andrew Horace Brown, Esther Ellen Grinstead, William Franklin Brown, Addie F Brown 
Dates of Employment  1890-1896 
Job(s)  Watchmen, Carder, Laborer 
Story   W F Brown worked for TKWM from its opening in 1890 through 1895 possibly as a carder then as a night watchman and laborer.  

William Franklin Brown was born in Feb 1856 in Crawford County, Arkansas to Thomas and Sophia Brown. By 1870, William and his family were living in North Salem, OR. His father Thomas was a wool sorter. In 1878, William married Ellen Layson. In the 1880 census, William, age 25, and his brother James are shown living with another family and farming in Heppner, OR. Ellen remained with her in-laws in Salem. 

By 1889, William was back in Salem working as a guard in the State Penitentiary, but that did not last long. He started working for the newly opened TKWM, first as a carder then as a watchman for several years. By 1900, William had returned to farming in Marion County. 

For a short time, William worked as an engineer in a saw mill but by 1920, William, wife Ellen and 39-year-old son James had moved to a farm in Lincoln County, WA. William farmed around Indian Creek, WA until his death in 1933, about two years after his wife Ellen died. Both are buried at Swede Flats Lutheran Cemetery in Fort Spokane, WA. 
References 
Name  Remarks 
Census  1870Wm F Brown. B abt 1856 in Arkansas. Home in North Salem. At School. Father: Thos E Brown is a Wool Sorter. Thos E Brown 42, Sophia Brown 34, Mary J Brown 16, Wm F Brown 14, Jas D Brown 12, Sarah M Brown 7, Martha H Brown 6, Ellen D Brown 4 

1880Wm. F. Brown. B abt 1855 in Arkansas. Home in Heppner, OR. Brother to HOH. Married. Father and Mother b in Tennessee. Farm Laborer. Henry Wade 30, Nancy A. Wade 28, Wm. M. Wade 8, Amanda F. Wade 6, Rosa A. Wade 4, Myrtle Wade 1, Wade 4/12, Wm. F. Brown 25, Jas. D. Brown 21 

1895 Salem Census:  Wm F Brown. B abt 1856 in Arkansas. Protestant. Watchman. Age:39 

1900William Brown B Feb 1855 in Arkansas. Home in Salem. Married HOH. Mother and Father b in Tennessee. Farmer. William T Brown 45, Ellen Brown 42, Elbert Brown 22, James Brown 19, Frank Brown 14, Earl Brown 8, Esther Brown 7, Andrew Brown 2, Andrew Lasen 76 

1910 William F Brown B abt 1854 in Arkansas. Married HOH. Mother and Father b in Tennessee. Owns home. Engineer in Saw Mill. William F Brown 56, Ellen Brown 54, James T Brown 29, Frank Brown 24, Marden E Brown 19, Esther E Brown 15, Andrew Brown 13 

1920Wm F Brown B abt 1857 in Arkansas. Home in 1920: Indian Creek, WA. HOH Farmer. Father and Mother b in Tennessee. Owns farm. Wm F Brown 63, Ellen Brown 62, James D Brown 39. 

1930William F Brown. B in Arkansas abt 1856. Married Father to HOH. Home in Egypt, Lincoln, Washington on Indian Creek Road. Age at first marriage 21. Mother and Father b in Tennessee. James B Brown 50, William F Brown 74, Ellen Brown 72, Marvin A Brown 17 (nephew), May M White 20 (niece) 
City Directory (Salem unless otherwise indicated  1889Wm F Brown, Guard Penitentiary. Res Broadway SE cor Oak 

1890No Brown shown working at TKWM. 

Wm F Brown, Guard Penitentiary. Res Broadway SE cor Oak 

1891Wm F Brown, Night Watch, TKWM. Res 6th SW Cor Division 

1893Wm F Brown, Watchman, TKWM. Res Oak SE cor 16th 

1896Wm F Brown, Lab, Salem Woolen Mills. Res n S Mission 2 e 14th. 

1905No Wm F Brown. No Brown working for TKWM. 

 
Find a Grave  William Franklin Brown. B Feb 1856 in Crawford County, Arkansas. D 21 Dec 1933 in Bend, OR. Cemetery: Swede Flats Lutheran Cemetery in Fort Spokane, WA. Father: Thomas Elbert Brown Mother: Sophia D. Brown Spouse: Eleanor Brown Children: Martin Earl Brown, James D. Brown, Thomas Elbert Brown
Andrew Horace Brown, Esther Ellen Grinstead, William Franklin Brown, Addie F Brown 
Marion County Marriage Records  W F Brown married on 16 Mar 1878 to Ellen Layson in Marion County.  
WHC Catalog Items  None identified at this time.