CAPTAIN JAMES BROWN
MEMORABILIA
Daguerrotype of Captain James Brown
Courtesy of owner, Ray Brown III
A story and the photo above were printed in The Pioneer, S.U.P., Vol. 5 No. 7 Winter 1953, Page 19, as a reprint of an editorial which appeared in the October 15, 1953 issue of the Utah Farmer. These stories state that this log cabin built in September 1847 by Osmyn Deuel and located just north of the east portion of the old Fort was the oldest house built in Utah. The Pioneer, Vol. 6, No. 1, Spring 1954, page 23 retracted the two stories referenced above. The Pioneer corrected that the oldest cabin/house built in Utah was built at the mouth of the Weber River in 1845 by Miles Goodyear and he sold this cabin and his holdings of 225 square miles to Captain James Brown in November 1847 for $1,950. It is reported that he built two or three cabins and one of these is today preserved in Ogden as the "Oldest House in Utah".
Various accounts state that Captain James Brown purchased anywhere from 9 sq. miles to 225 sq. miles from Miles Goodyear. Quoting Edward Tullidge, early Utah historian, who says: "Miles Goodyear claimed a tract of land, which was a Mexican Grant to him made in 1841 [1840], commencing at the mouth of Weber Canyon and following the base of the mountain north to the Utah Hot Springs; thence west to the Salt Lake and thence along the shore of the Lake to a point opposite the Weber Canyon and thence east to the place of beginning. Goodyear had built a Fort and a few log cabins on the spot now occupied by the Union Pacific Freight Depot."
The 2000 statistics for the Weber Valley is 644 sq. miles, and Ogden Valley alone is 347.5 sq. miles.
"Captain James Brown came to Salt Lake Valley in December 1847, with $10,000 in Spanish money [doubloons] to pay the soldiers of the Mormon Battalion. These coins were soon monopolized by financial magnates. Yet the coin, as a medium of exchange, was much in demand and the supply small." --Heart Throbs of the West, Vol. 9, 1948, Page 234.
"Gold Dust brought to Salt Lake Valley by Captain James Brown and others was converted into gold coins around 1849"
The $2.50 coin was approximately 1" diameter
Engraved with an eye surmounted by a miter on one side, two hands clasped on other side. |
The $5. coin was 1 1/4 inch diameter |
$10 gold coin was 1 3/8" wide.
All denominations were pure virgin gold.
"Holiness to the Lord"
Other side "G.S.L.C.P.G" , date of issue and value
Great Salt Lake City Pure Gold
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$20 gold coin was 1 5/8 diameter.
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First cabin in Weber County; owned by Captain James Brown in 1847 (DUP grounds in Ogden)
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Photo published in The Pioneer, S.U.P., Vol. 6, No. 1, Spring 1954, Page 23
(Text from Plaque No. 41)
No, 41 Erected July 24, 1934:
"THIS CABIN, BUILT ABOUT 1841 BY MILES GOODYEAR, AS FAR AS KNOWN, THE FIRST PERMANENT HOUSE BUILT IN UTAH, STOOD NEAR THE JUNCTION OF THE OGDEN AND WEBER RIVERS. IN 1847 IT WAS SOLD TO CAPTAIN JAMES BROWN OF THE MORMON BATTALION WITH A SPANISH LAND GRANT COVERING ALL OF WEBER COUNTY. IT WAS PRESERVED BY MINERVA STONE SHAW AND BY HER PRESENTED TO THE DAUGHTERS OF THE UTAH PIONEERS, WEBER COUNTY CHAPTER, WHO PLACED IT ON ITS PRESENT SITE.
Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Weber County, Chapter and Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarks Association."
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| In November 1847, Captain James Brown bought from Miles M. Goodyear his 1841 Mexican land grant and possession. Goodyear sold a tract of land beginning at Weber Canyon, following the base of the Wasatch mountains eight miles north to the Hot Springs, thence west to the Great Salt Lake following along the shore south to a point opposite Weber Canyon and thence back to the beginning, approximately 225 square miles.. CJB moved into the "Old Goodyear Fort" also known as Fort Buenaventura, situated at about the intersection of what is now 27th Street and the Weber River. This fort, covering about one-eighth of an acre (?), was made of cottonwood logs approximately twelve feet high, placed upright, close together and sharpened on top.
The best way to find Fort Buenaventura, now wonderfully restored as a Utah state park, is to ask directions at Union Station Visitor's Center on Wall and 25th streets in historic downtown Ogden. The fort is directly west across the railroad tracks from Union Station; to reach it go north on Wall to 24th Street, go west across the viaduct, and take the first left past a baseball diamond.
In this enclosure were three log cabins. Here, in 1848, Mrs. Mary McRee Brown, the first white woman resident of Weber county, made the first cheese in Utah. In 1850 the river overflowed its banks. The cabins were moved to higher ground about one-fourth of a mile southwest from their former location. The new home was called Brown's Fort. Later one of these cabins was moved to 2148 Grant Avenue on what is now Tabernacle Square, a short distance west of the Tabernacle. The log cabin is preserved and maintained by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.
In 1857 Mr. Amos Pease Stone, purchased this [or one of the three] old cabin from CJB and used it as a blacksmith shop. In 1860 Stone moved it to Mill Creek where the Phoenix Mill now stands, and in 1866 he moved it to 1342 Washington Avenue. On April 3, 1896, Mrs. Minerva P. Shaw bought the cabin and moved it near her residence at 1265 Washington Avenue. The cabin was remodeled, the lower logs which had decayed years before were replaced with new logs, and a shingle cover has taken place of the dirt roof.
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Hooded wood cradle belonging to Captain James Brown's wives and children. Square wood nails hold sides, and rockers are attached by mortise and tenon joint. Cradle is in Ogden D.U.P Museum. Great-great granddaughter Erin G. Murphy was the last baby to sleep and play in this cradle.
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Brown Family dishes
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Brown Family Shelves
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Table used by Brown Family
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Captain James Brown's Rifle
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"Captain James Brown returned from his mission to England in 1852. He brought a black silk shawl beautifully embroidered and fringed for his dear wife Phebe Abbott Brown. Phebe gave this shawl in 1882 to her daughter Mrs. Snyder. Phebe's shawl is now a part of the D.U.P. Treasures of Pioneer Heirhooms exhibit on display at the State Capital." --Heart Throbs of the West, Vol. 8, DUP 1947, Page 11.
Pioneer Lantern Exhibit at Utah State Capitol.
"No. 8--A brass candle holder 12 inches high, owned by James Brown in early Utah days. It was donated by his daughter, Phoebe Brown Snyder, August 12, 1912." --Heart Throbs of the West, Vol. 5, DUP 1944, Page 451 includes photo of Brown's brass candle holder.
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In 2000, grandson, Gaylen Brown donated drying racks, bedding, and various other family items to the Church History Museum. (Gloria Scovill). David Bingham Dee said he donated Hattie Jensen's Brown Family Book of Remembrance to this Museum also, however, the curators have no record of it. Let's hope they do find it.
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On November 2007 cousin Ray Brown (A.M.Brown + Nellie Weiler) remembered that Captain James Brown's uniform was on on display at the Salt Lake City D.U.P. Museum. Around ten or twelve years ago someone from the family went to the Museum and picked up the uniform. Does anyone know who has this uniform? Let us know at OrsonPrattBrown@gmail.com
Captain James Brown's Journal was in the possession of Mary Harriet "Hattie" Critchlow Jensen. The house where Hattie kept the journal burned to the ground. It is thought the Journal and the descendant both burned in the blaze. William Critchlow may have some further knowledge on this topic. William was to have picked up the Journal from Hattie but was involved in a car accident and did not arrive at that time at Hattie's home. If anyone has more information on this please contact me at OrsonPrattBrown@gmail.com. Thank you.
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(Figure #6.) #10921 --Picture of hair work in the shape of a tree. Fashioned by Harriet "Hattie" Critchlow Jensen, granddaughter of Captain James Brown and William Fuller Critchlow, pioneers of 1847, this most unusual hair design is a beautiful work of art. In its ornate white and gold frame, this unique hair picture was presented to the Salt Lake Temple where it hung in the main entrance until the time of the temple remodeling in 1967. It was presented to the Salt Lake City Pioneer Memorial Museum in 1970 by Ruth Jensen Clawson and can be found on the north wall of the Manuscript room.
Each branch of the "tree" ... is made from the hair of a well-known Mormon leader.
The hair of Branch 1 belongs to Joseph Smith, branch 2 belongs to Brigham Young, branch 3 belongs to John Taylor, branch 4 belongs Heber C. Kimball, branch 5 belongs to Willard Richards, branch 6 belongs to George A. Smith, branch 7 belongs to Wilford Woodruff, branch 8 belongs to George Q. Cannon, branch 9 belongs Joseph F. Smith, branch 10 belongs to Lorenzo Snow, branch 11 belongs to Franklin D. Richards, branch 12 belongs to Moses Thatcher, branch 13 belongs to Francis M. Lyman, branch 14 belongs John Henry Smith, branch 15 belongs George Teasdale, branch 16 belongs to Heber J. Grant, branch 17 belongs to Marriner Wood Merrill, branch 18 belongs to Abram H. Cannon, branch 19 belongs to Captain James Brown, branch 20 belongs to Mary McRee Black Brown, branch 21 belongs to Christian Daniel Fjeldstead, branch 22 belongs to John Morgan, branch 23 belongs to B.H. Roberts, branch 24 belongs to J. Golden Kimball, branch 25 belongs to William Toolson, branch 26 belongs to William B. Preston, branch 27 belongs to Robert T. Burton, branch 28 belongs to Jonathan R. Winder, branch 29 belongs to George Goddard, branch 30 belongs to Zina D. Young, branch 31 belongs to Lucy Walker Kimball Smith, branch 32 belongs Priscinda Kimball, branch 33 belongs to Jane Snyder Richards, branch 34 belongs to Bathsheba Smith, branch 35 belongs to Elmina Taylor, branch 36 belongs to Mattie H. Tingey, branch 37 belongs to Phebe Abbott Brown Fife. --An Enduring Legacy, Vol. 3, DUP, Page 338-339
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Monument of Captain James Brown at City-County Square in Ogden
(Amanda Murphy and Mike Murphy 1982)
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Brown Family plow
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(Text of Plaque No. 112)
Centennial Plaque
CAPTAIN JAMES BROWN
"CAPTAIN JAMES BROWN, PIONEER, AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF OGDEN. ENLISTED IN THE MORMON BATTALION OF THE U.S. ARMY IN THE MEXICAN WAR JULY 16, 1846 AT COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA AND WAS MADE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY C. THE BATTALION MARCHED OVERLAND TO SAN DIEGO, THE LONGEST MARCH OF INFANTRY EVER RECORDED. AT SANTE FE, CAPTAIN BROWN WAS PLACED IN CHARGE OF THE SICK DETACHMENT AND ORDERED TO PUEBLO WHERE THEY SPENT THE WINTER OF 1846 -1847 WITH A GROUP OF CONVERTS TO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS ENROUTE FROM THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE SALT LAKE VALLEY.
IN THE SPRING HE MARCHED HIS MEN BY WAY OF FORT LARAMIE AND THE SOUTH PASS ARRIVING IN THE VALLEY JULY 29, 1847 CLOSELY FOLLOWING BRIGHAM YOUNG AND THE MORMON PIONEERS."
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(Text of Plaque No. 112 - PART 2)
Erected July 29, 1947
CAPTAIN JAMES BROWN
"EARLY IN AUGUST HE LEFT BY WAY OF FORT HALL FOR CALIFORNIA TO COLLECT THE ARMY PAY DUE MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION. RETURNING LATE IN 1847. HE STOPPED AT THE FORT OF MILES GOODYEAR, A TRAPPER LOCATED NEAR THE JUNCTION OF THE OGDEN AND WEBER RIVERS. FROM GOODYEAR HE PURCHASED FOR $3,000 ALL OF THE LAND NOW COMPRISING WEBER COUNTY TOGETHER WITH SOME LIVESTOCK AND THE FORT.
THE LAND WAS CONVEYED TO CAPTAIN BROWN IN A MEXICAN LAND GRANT. THIS ENTIRE AREA BEING AT THAT TIME A PART OF MEXICO. IN JANUARY, 1848, HE SETTLED HERE WITH HIS FAMILY AND BEGAN THE COLONIZATION OF BROWNSVILLE, LATER OGDEN. HE WAS BORN SEPTEMBER 30, 1801 AND DIED SEPTEMBER 30, 1863."
THIS MONUMENT ERECTED BY DESCENDENTS OF CAPTAIN JAMES BROWN, CITIZENS OF WEBER COUNTY AND THE UTAH PIONEER TRAIL AND LANDMARK ASSOCIATION."
[Clarification: CJB paid 3,000 Spanish doubloons which is the equivalent of $1,950 U.S. dollars.]
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Note: We have gathered a collection of photos of the Miles Goodyear cabins built between 1841 and 1845 and purchased by CJB during 1847 and early 1848. The two photos shown above are representative of the collection of photos of the three cabins built by Goodyear and purchased by Captain James Brown.
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Sources:
PAF - Archer Files: Captain James Brown + Phebe Abbott > Orson Pratt Brown > Descendants
PAF: Archer Files: Captain James Brown + Mary McRee >Josephine Vilate Brown + Henry James Newman > Mary Maria Newman + Bernard Spencer Stone < Amos Pease Stone + Sarah Spencer > Minerva Pease Stone Shaw.
Bernard and Minerva are siblings.
http://history.utah.gov/apps/markers/detailed_results.php?markerid=1697 -info on Ogden monument.
http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/w/WEBERCT.html states Weber County is 644 square miles.
http://www.city-data.com/city/Ogden-Valley-Utah.html states Ogden Valley is 347.5 square miles.
Copyright 1999 and 2007 www.OrsonPrattBrown.org
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