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Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.


     GUY C. BROWNE, cashier of the Columbia Valley Bank, Wenatchee, Chelan county was born in Portland, Oregon, August 9, 1877.  His father, J. J. Browne, one of the leading citizens of Spokane, is a native of Greenville, Ohio, and was born April 28,  1843.  He worked his way first through Wabash College and afterwards the University of Michigan, graduating from the law department.  He was married in 1874 to Miss Anna W. Stratton.  Their wedding journey was a trip across the plains.  The fall of the same year they made their new home in Portland, Oregon.  J. J. Browne made a trip through eastern Washington in 1877, and seeing the vast possibilities of the Inland Empire he decided at once that there he would make his home.  The next year, Guy then being one year old, his parents moved to Spokane Falls, then little more than a camping ground.  Mr. Browne at once became a power in the little community growing around the falls.  He acquired large holdings of real estate in the center of what has become the prosperous and beautiful city of Spokane.  He platted Browne's Addition and Browne's Second Addition, and laid out and still owns most of Central Addition.  He owns a large farm on Moran prairie less than five miles from the center of the city.  He is also interested in many enterprises in the northwest and is president of two banks, the Columbia Valley Bank at Wenatchee, and the Couer d'Alene Bank & Trust Co., Couer d'Alene, Idaho.  From the first he had absolute faith in the future of the country and has always been the first to give his time and money to assist in its upbuilding.
     Guy C. Browne laid the foundation of his education in the Spokane public and high  schools to which were added the advantages of the Michigan Military Academy at Orchard Lake, Michigan, and the Washington Agricultural College at Pullman.  During his school days he spent some time in newspaper work and left Pullman to accept the position of mining and sporting editor on the Spokane Daily Chronicle.  He has always taken an active interest in athletics and is an athlete of no small ability and reputation.  During his school years when bicycle racing was at its height he for several years held the championships for the Pacific northwest.  Browne and his racing partner, Johnnie Campbell, not only won in Washington, but likewise the important races and championships in Oregon and British Columbia.  He was one of the charter members of the Spokane Amateur Athletic Club, and was a director in the club for a number of years.  He was one of the leaders in forming the Wenatchee Amateur Athletic Club in which he is a director and officer.  As mining editor of the Chronicle, and also to investigate and report on properties for investors, he visited most of the important mining camps  in the northwest.
     In 1897 Mr. Browne led a party to the gold fields of Alaska, going in by the Ft. Wrangle, Stickeen River, Teslin Lake route.  During the winter of 1897-98 his party was continually on the move, their home during the cold northern winter being their tent.  That winter, pulling their provisions and outfit, they traveled on snow shoes more than six hundred miles.  During the later part of February he made a trip out in the interest of his party.  He and a companion, without tent or stove, made the one hundred and fifty mile trip from Telegraph Creek, British, Columbia, to Ft. Wrangle, Alaska, in the remarkably short time of five and one-half days.
     Instead of returning by the Stickeen route he, with his brother, Earle P. Browne, led a party overland by pack train via the old Telegraph trail.  It is estimated that twenty-five hundred pack animals and five hundred men started on this trail that year.  Less than five hundred horses got through alive.  Of the men less than two hundred persevered.  Some of the balance died, more turned back, and many gave up and headed for the coast.  The energy and resourcefulness displayed by the Browne party is best shown by their success.  They left Spokane May 14, 1898, and reached the end of the sixteen hundred mile journey over mountains, across rivers, and through swamps on September 12.  This was the best time made on the trail.
     On his return he was connected with his father's real estate and investment business in Spokane for more than a year.  May 1, 1899, he was united in marriage to Miss Cary E. Mayer at the residence of the bride's parents near Spokane.  She is a native of Illinois.  Her father, John Mayer, was an old timer in Spokane, owned large property interests on Half Moon and Four Mount prairies and was for a time commissioner of Spokane county.  She is a graduate of the Spokane high school and attended the Washington Agricultural College.  They have a son, Karl M.
     Guy C. Browne's first trip to north central Washington was in 1891, when, with his father, he made the trip over the mountains from Ellensburg.  Reaching the Columbia river a few miles below the present site of Wenatchee, they went up that river to Chelan.  They spent two weeks on that beautiful body of water and returned to Spokane, across the Big Bend plateau.  They were both much impressed with the country, so much so that J. J. Browne decided to become interested in it.  He foresaw that there was sure to be a city near the mouth of the Wenatchee and the next year when the Great Northern road seemed to be assured he established the Columbia Valley Bank.  It was opened in the old town in the spring of 1892, which makes it the oldest bank in north central Washington.  When the railroad was completed and the town moved to its present location, the bank secured one of the best corners, and built one of the first brick blocks as its home.  For more than ten years it was the only banking institution in Wenatchee.  Guy C. Browne early became interested in the bank, and in April, 1896, was first elected to the board of directors.  In the fall of 1900, he moved to Wenatchee and assumed the active management of the bank.  Under his careful and businesslike management the Columbia Valley Bank has had a continuous and substantial growth.  Besides its large capital a good sized surplus has been built up.  Recently a savings bank department has been added with a school savings system in connection.  Mr. Browne has great faith in Wenatchee and north central Washington.  Both he and the bank have the entire confidence of the community they have helped to build up, and both are always ready to assist any legitimate enterprise that has for its object the upbuilding of Wenatchee or north central Washington.