Brown Family Letters

LETTERS FROM WILLIAM HENRY BROWN TO ALBERT R. BROWN

William Henry Brown had gone to Arkansas in 1880 after finishing school in Knoxville, Tenn. His maternal Grandfather, Benjamin Brown, lived in Scott County, Arkansas, (Yes, Nancy was a Brown, married a Brown) having gone there in 1869 with his second wife and children from both marriages. The mother of Wm. Henry, Nancy C. Brown, was the oldest child, married to William Labon Brown. Nancy was widowed in April of 1865 and stayed on the Brown Farm near Knoxville, TN. On his first trip to Arkansas, Henry stayed about a year and taught school. He returned to Knoxville for a time, then began a second walking trip to “Grandpa’s”. (Grandpa is Benjamin Brown, his maternal grandfather.) These letters are to his younger brother, Albert Rosecrans Brown. A.R. seems to be working at www&co. as that name is on the envelopes. A.R. is living with Nancy C. Brown, who by now has a house in Knoxville, built with the help of her father in law, John Brown II and brother in law Henry Davis (married to sister of Wm. Laban Brown). A picture of that house is in Erwin among Nancy’s papers. During this year, Albert tries to start a chicken business, then goes to the mountains of North Carolina and begins selling wholesale hardware to General Stores throughout the mountain area. He traveled by horse and buggy. The full story of the career of A.R. Brown is found in clippings and writings in the Brown Book. These letters were transcribed and submitted by Betsy Smith

WILLIAM HENRY BROWN LETTERS FROM ARKANSAS
MAY 10, 1883 TO JULY 11, 1884

May 10, 1883 - Arrives in Blansett, Scott Co., Ark. Lists towns he went through from Knoxville, TN to Blansett, Ark. (He had arrived in Blansett exactly 3 years to the day before this: May 10, 1880.)
May 27, 1883 - Names: “Aunt Jane” (Jane Brown Evetts); Dr. Bevell; Dr. Washburn; John Mitchell (cousin of Wm. Henry by marriage to Martha); Will Brown, county surveyor; “Uncle” Sam C. Brown brother of Nancy C.Brown; Marion Evett (Aunt Jane’s husband.)
November 22, 1883 - William Henry needs a job.
December 1, 1883 - Reunion of large family of relatives - the Kirkpatricks.
December 13, 1883 - “Uncle Jesse”; Joe Kirk (Kirkpatrick?)
January 1, 1884 - Names several towns near Knoxville.
January 26, 1884 - Cost of land.
February 19, 1884 - Employed by a “rich old bugger.”
April 4, 1884 - Tom Kirkpatrick is going to Nehraska.
April 15, 1884 - William going to Madison Co. to see land.
April 20, 1884 - Return from Madison Co. report on land.
May 30, 1884 - Jesse Kirk; Wm. Henry tells of discovery of a new springs better than Eureka Springs.
July 11, 1884 - “Cousin Jesse”; Wm. Henry waiting to hear from Logan Co. about teaching job.

Note: Letter #13 is the last letter written from Arkansas. He returned to Knoxville, TN.