Brownr
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
REUBEN A. BROWN, engaged in diversified
farming near Monitor (Brown's Flat), Chelan county, was born at New Albany,
Indiana, May 3, 1861. He is a brother of Noah N. and George W. Brown,
sketches of whom, together with the ancestry of the family, appear in another
portion of this work. They reside at Wenatchee, Chelan county.
Our subject was reared and educated in New
Albany, and at the age of fourteen began working on a farm. Later
he removed to Washington, and, leaving his parents at Vancouver, came east
of the Cascade mountains and engaged in driving stock through Oregon, Washington
and Idaho. In 1884 he settled at his present location, and filed
on one hundred and sixty acres of land on the Wenatchee river, eight miles
from Wenatchee. He was the first white settler in the vicinity.
With no capital he commenced stockraising, and was successful for many
years. The winters were mild and his stock throve finely. One
hundred and twenty acres of his property is at present under cultivation,
sixty acres in wheat and fifteen acres in alfalfa. An orchard of
fifteen acres is just beginning to be productive. He has wintered
as many as forty-six head of cattle, raises many hogs and has a band of
sheep. Aside from the two brothers mentioned, Mr. Brown has one sister,
Julia Rowe, residing with her husband at Dewey, Oregon.
Our subject was married, April 8, 1885, at
Vancouver, Washington. His bride was Miss Lucy R. Cole, a native
of Minnesota. Her father, William Cole, still living at Vancouver,
came to Washington in 1882. He is a farmer. Her mother was born in
Wisconsin, Urena (Ulvin) Cole. Her parents were natives of Norway.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown have nine children living,
Samuel, Noble, Ora, Maud, Lutie, Melvina, Abagail, Grace and Robert.
Mr. Brown is a member of the Maccabees, and a Republican.
For many years Mr. Brown has irrigated twenty-two
acres of his land by means of a wheel in the river. At present all
of his land is supplied with water from the new Jones & Shotwell ditch,
greatly increasing its value. He has recently offered fifteen thousand
dollars for his property.