San
Joaquin County
Biographies
GEORGE W. BROWN
A representative of the high-class
agricultural methods which have made San Joaquin County one of the most
prosperous in northern California, George W. Brown has pursued his active and honorable
career in this state for more than thirty years. His valuable and pleasant home estate located
about three and a half miles west of Ripon consists of 220 acres of choice
irrigated land which is entirely devoted to the raising of alfalfa, the yield
averaging one and three-quarter tons to the acre and six cuttings are made
during the year. The entire acreage will
be eventually set to grapes, and already Mr. Brown is preparing portions of his
ranch for that purpose. He was born near
Rolla, Missouri, November 3, 1866, a son of George Washington and Elma (McCourtney) Brown, the former of French ancestry, born in
western Kentucky and the latter descended from an old Scotch family, also born
in Kentucky. There were but two children
in the family, Mrs. Mary Martin, residing in Rolla, Missouri, and George W.,
the subject of this sketch. Both parents
are now deceased.
George W. Brown received his
education in his native state and at the age of twenty-three, in 1889, came to
California. He soon found employment in
planting the vineyard owned by the late Judge Norton near Lodi and at the end
of the second year assumed the position of foreman of the large ranch, where he
continued for four years. During this
time he became conversant with many phases of viticulture and he was also able
to save enough money to start farming pursuits on his own account, which he did
in the Elliott district, where he farmed until 1896 when he removed to
Collegeville and farmed on the Buck & Earl ranch for four years, his principal
crop being grain. He remained in this
district until 1907 when he leased the Norton & Anger vineyard for ten
years.
On September 28, 1892, while
residing in Collegeville, Mr. Brown was married to Miss Frances Pierson, a
daughter of Jacob and Rosella (Lindsey) Pierson, both natives of Kansas. Jacob Pierson was a veteran of the Civil War
and served from 1861 to 1865. He passed
away in Olathe, Kansas. The family came
to California in 1876. Mr. and Mrs.
Brown are the parents of five children: Roselma married James M. Cusick
and they have one son and reside in Ripon; Marion is married and has one son
and resides in Manteca; Miss Merle is at home; Leland is married and has a
daughter and is superintendent of the Norton & Anger vineyard; and Elliott
is attending Union high school. Mr.
Brown and his son-in-law, J. M. Cusick, are the
owners of a fine herd of dairy cattle, which Mr. Cusick
operates on shares. Mr. Brown is an
authority on viticulture in the Ripon district of the county, having thoroughly
tested the soil and climate regarding the growing of extra choice Tokay
grapes. In 1920 Mr. Brown erected a
comfortable modern residence on his ranch where the family
reside; he is a member and past noble grand of Mt. Horeb Lodge No. 58,
I. O. O. F., at Ripon and belongs to the Masons at Manteca.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
877-878. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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