PONA BROWN

Sacramento County

Biographies

PONA BROWN

PONA BROWN.--A native son who has had much experience as a miner, farmer and stock-raiser is Pona Brown, who was born near Michigan Bar, on December 31, 1861. His father, Vanness Allen Brown, who was familiarly known as Frank Brown, was native of Michigan, who when eighteen years of age crossed the great plains in an ox-team train in 1852 to Michigan Bar, Sacramento County, where for a time he followed mining and later on farming. He died at Lodi at the age of sixty-seven years. He had married Anna Baker, a native of Missouri, who had come with her parents to Michigan Bar in the fifties. She passed away at the age of fifty years. This worthy pioneer couple had six children, five of whom are living; Ora, of Sacramento; Pona, the subject of this review; Phill, who lives at Michigan Bar; Allen, in Stockton; and the youngest, Mamie, now Mrs. Driscoll, of Stockton.

Pona Brown was educated in the public school in Michigan Bar district. Here, too, from a lad he learned mining, which he followed off and on for twenty years, first at sluicing, then hydraulicking, and then as night foreman of Mr. Thomas' hydraulic mine. Finally he quit mining to devote his time to farming, having purchased the Derth ranch of ninety-five acres in the vicinity of Michigan Bar, and there he built his residence and has made his headquarters ever since. He has since purchased the Breeding place of 120 acres, the John Andrus place of 160 acres, the Spooner place of 175 acres, all adjoining, and forty-five acres, a part of the Gill place, making him owner of about 600 acres watered by Arkansas Creek and numerous springs, which makes it an excellent stock ranch. He devotes this area to raising horses, mules and cattle, and he also runs a small dairy. He devotes considerable time to the duties of road overseer in his district.

The marriage of Pona Brown and Miss Maggie Lowe occurred in Sacramento. She was born in Illinois, coming to California when six years of age with her parents, Thomas and Martha Lowe, who are old-time ranchers at Michigan Bar. The father is now ninety-seven years of age and the mother eighty years old. Of their two children Mrs. Brown is the youngest, the eldest being Mrs. Mintie Carpenter of Sacramento. Mr. and Mrs. Browns union has been blessed with five children as follows: Frank served overseas in the United States army and is now in the employ of Sacramento County; Ernest died in March, 1921, aged thirty years; Ira lives at Elk Grove; Velma is Mrs. Rogers of Sacramento; and Percy is assisting his father. Mr. Brown was school trustee of Michigan Bar district about twenty years and Mrs. Brown is now serving as trustee and clerk of the board. Mr. Brown is interested in civic and social matters and is enterprising and progressive, helping in all matters he deems beneficial to the growth and development of his native county and state.

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Page 821. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.