Butte County
Biographies
HON. CHARLES H. BROWN
HON. CHARLES H. BROWN.--One of the largest individual cattle-raisers and stockmen in Butte County, and therefore an enterprising citizen of extensive operations, whose experience, example and counsel are of great value to all others engaged in the stock-raising industry, is Charles H. Brown, a member of the California Legislature, who was born in Illinois, on July 31, 1871. His father was Pearley G. Brown, who married Mary E. McNeil, both natives of Ohio. The former was captain of Company A, First Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served during the Civil War. He was three times wounded during various engagements. After the war he became a stock-dealer and, with his brother, established the first stockyards in Cincinnati, Ohio. The family came to California in 1872, when Charles H. was a baby; and, once settled here, the father took up farming and the raising of live stock, first at Loma, later at Palermo, and still later at Biggs. A few years afterward, and while the subject of our sketch was still a child, this hard-working and devoted head of the family passed away.
Charles H. attended school in the Lone Tree district in Butte County, and finished at the public school at Biggs. He then began to learn the live stock business, and in that field he has continued ever since. In early days he was the youngest cattle-buyer traveling out of San Francisco, and he became thoroughly familiar with cattle, horses, mules and sheep. He was made foreman of the Reyman and Evans cattle ranch, on the Ord place near Gridley, afterwards joining the company as a partner. At one time, during 1909 and 1910, he leased over twenty thousand acres of land, and carried on the cattle business for himself on a large scale. Now he owns two ranches on which he raises prunes and grain, and rents four places, where he carries on the cattle business.
For eight years Mr. Brown was supervisor of Butte County, and for two years of the time he served as chairman of the board. He was elected, on the Republican ticket, a member of the Assembly of the California State Legislature, in 1916, and has actively participated in the work of the legislative sessions of 1917 and 1918. He is a member of the committee on Agriculture, also on Drainage, Swamps and Overflowed Lands; Irrigation; Labor and Capital, Ways and Means; and Live Stock and Dairy. As a citizen of patriotic ardor he is a member of Butte County Council of Defense, and chairman of the Community Council at Gridley.
Mr.
Brown was made a Mason in North Butte Lodge, No. 230, F. & A. M., at
Gridley, and is a member of Franklin Chapter, No. 20, R. A. M., and the
Oroville Commandery, No. 5, K. T., both at Oroville, and Islam Temple, A. A. O.
N. M. S., in San Francisco. He is a member of Marysville Lodge, No. 283, B. P. O.
Elks. Mr. Brown was married to Myrtle E. Evans, born in Gridley, a daughter of
J. A. Evans, a pioneer. She died leaving a daughter Gladys, a graduate of the
University of California and now the wife of Lieut. E. F. Perkins, United
States Army, and she makes her home in Berkeley. The second marriage of Mr.
Brown united him with Mrs. Marie (Block) Welch, a native of Butte County and
the daughter of Henry Block, one of the pioneers of this section of the state.
She is a member and Past Matron of the Gridley Chapter, No. 35, O. E. S., of
which Mr. Brown is a member and Past Patron.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 1/23/08.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 662-663, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Vicky
Walker.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies