GEORGE M. BROWN
Fruit Grower
1888
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: LOBB, CHEW
one of the successful horticulturists and
farmers of the Jefferson District, owns seventy-eight acres of finely
cultivated land, situated on Wilcox Lane, north of the Kifer road, and
about two and one half miles northwest of Santa Clara. He devotes
thirty acres of his land to strawberry culture, the principal variety
being the Longworth Prolific. Ten acres are set with fruit-trees,
chiefly Bartlett pears, this orchard land being also utilized for the
production of strawberries and blackberries. Eight acres are used
exclusively for raspberries and blackberries, while another ten acres
grow alfalfa. The remainder of the land yields hay. Upon the property
Mr. Brown has a comfortable cottage home, surrounded by choice flowers,
shade-trees, etc.
The subject of this sketch was born in Gloucestershire, England, and
came to America in 1861. He went to Hamilton, Canada West, and remained
there until the following year, when he left for California, by way of
the Isthmus route. He reached San Francisco in April, 1862, and, after
a short stay in that city, went to Alameda County, where he spent about
two years, engaged in farm labor. He then extended his travels as far
north as British Columbia, where he took up government land, and opened
a farm near Nanaimo. Not being suited with his location, after a stay
of two years he returned to California. For three years he worked in
Alameda County, coming to Santa Clara County in 1867, and purchasing
the property where he has since made his home. He has directed
intelligent efforts toward the improvement of his land and the
cultivation of small fruits and berries, and finds those efforts well
rewarded in the results which he obtains. A public-spirited and
progressive citizen, he is a useful member of society. He is a member
and strong supporter of the Episcopal Church, and is identified with
the Republican party, taking an intelligent interest in all that
concerns State and nation.
In 1885 he wedded Miss Emma Lobb, daughter of Henry Lobb, of San Jose.
Two children have blessed this union, viz.: Alfred Lee and Ella.
Pen Pictures
From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California,
Illustrated. - Edited by H.
S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 483
GEORGE MILLER BROWN
1922
Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: LOBB, SHIRELY,
Interesting, in-structive and inspiring is the story of the part played
bv the many sons and daughters of historic old England who, in settling
as pioneers in California and the neighboring sister states, have
contributed mightily, through hard work, venture and sacrifice, to the
upbuilding of great commonwealths. Promi-nent among such worthy
pioneers of the "right little, tight little island" who have helped to
lay broad and deep the foundations of romantic California, and in doing
so best developed the resources of the Golden State, is George Miller
Brown, a native of Gloucestershire, England, long prominent as. one of
the most successful growers of Bartlett pears in the Santa Clara
Valley, and very influential-fortunately always in the direction of
ennobling Christian endeavor and moral uplift-as a far-seeing
capitalist.
Mr. Brown was born at Stow-on-the-Wold, in Southwest England, on August
16, 1843, fortunate ill his honorable parentage, but unhappily the
family was so soon broken up that at a very early age he was compelled
to push out into the world and struggle for himself. He went to school
only until his eighth year, but being naturally apt, got more out of
his books and teachers than many a child of less necessity. At nine
years of age he drove a four-ox team hitched to a plow, being given
that re-sponsible job because he could "fill the bill" better than any
grown-up workman on the place. Seeing the promise in the lad, his
employer remarked, "George, you will beat your master yet," and this
prophecy was, in time, literally fulfilled. He con-tinued to work at
farm labor on a large English estate, and when he was only fifteen he
was made foreman and given charge of the cultivation of 300 acres, with
a dairy and sheep, cattle and horses.
In 1861 Mr. Brown left England for the United States, and landed in New
York, then seething with its first year's participation in the Civil
War; and probably on account of the disturbed conditions there, he went
on to Hamilton, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. He
accompanied his brother, James M. Brown, a tailor, who previously had
made a trip to the United States, had gone as far as California, and
had seen the stirring life of the gold diggings in 1850. George Brown
entered the employ of a Hamilton doctor, and he continued wth him until
he came out to California.
The steerage ticket to San Francisco at that time cost $100, which
represented all the money Mr. Brown had been able to save; but a friend
who was anxious that he go with him, and who had a small capital
of $2,000, advanced him enough cash to en-able him to reach the
Promised Land. When he reached California, however, he had only twenty
dollars left, so he went to work at once on a farm in Alameda County
and stayed there a year. He repaid the thirty dollars advanced to him
by his friend-repaying in shining gold-all within sixty days after his
arrival in the Bay City in April, 1862. When he had been in California
two and a half years, Mr. Brown followed his brother to Vancouver
Island, where he preempted some land near Nanaimo, taking up 100 acres,
and having brought with him, by boat, a yoke of oxen and four cows, he
set to work to do the best he could with the undeveloped tract.
At the end of two years, however, Mr. Brown was not suited with his
location, and so he turned his claim, stock and all other possessions
over to his brother and came back to California. He had a capital of
$600 when he arrived at Nanaimo, and when he arrived in Alameda in 1866
his last two-bits were gone. He found his place open on Judge Hastings'
farm and for ten months continued in his employ; and then he worked for
Franklin Pancos, the pioneer strawberry grower, with whom he came to
Santa Clara County and formed a partnership. They rented thirty-six
acres in the Jefferson district, in Santa Clara County, in 1868, and
put the entire tract in strawberries; later he formed a partnership
with another young man who had set out ten acres to strawberries on a
part of Mr. Brown's patent land. About 1871 he bought out his partner,
and then he continued to raise strawberrie:; on rented land. He had
twenty-two acres in berries and in the height of the season it took
ninety-eight men to pick them before they spoiled, and when all his
expenses had been paid, he had just ten dollars left. It took him
thirteen years to pay for his first. twenty-two acres, the nucleus of
his present place; since then he has added by purchasing adjoining
until he has 102 acres in a body, and it took forty-four years to pay
for it with all the improvements, for he kept right on improving.
About forty years ago Mr. Brown helped put out the pear trees on what
is now Mrs. Weston's place. There were some trees left, so he set them
on his own place, which was the beginning of his present orchard, in
what is now the greatest Bartlett pear district in California. Mr.
Brown alone has 102 acres, which is said to be the finest Bartlett pear
orchard in the United State-decidedly an inspiring triumpg, after
years of hardship and discouragements. Mr. Brown and his wife also have
other valuable realty holdings and are active in financial as well as
commercial circles.
In San Jose, January ·29, 1885, Mr. Brown was married to Miss
Emma Lobb, also a native of England, who was born at St. Hoswell, a
daughter of Henry and Jane Lobb, who emigrated with their family via
the Isthmus of Panama in 1869, to Nevada County, Ca1.; the father was a
miner in Grass Valley until they came to San Jose, where he and his
wife passed their remaining years. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Brown has
been blessed with the birth of five children: Alfred is the foreman of
his father's ranch and is also the owner of pear orchards and a
prominent nurseryman, raising all kinds of fruit trees for the
wholesale and retail trade. He has come to be known as an authority on
horticulture and his advice is frequently sought by others. Albert is
engaged in auto transportation, having a fleet of trucks for the
purpose; he married Miss Viola Chew and they have three children. His
headquarters are in San Jose where he resides with his family. Walter,
when only seventeen, enlisted for service on the Mexican border, was
later sent to France, where he was wounded, and was honorably
discharged at the completion of his patriotic service; he married
Isabel Shirley and they have one son. Ella L. is a graduate of the San
Jose State Normal, and during the World War served for ten months in
the Red Cross as a field volunteer, paying her own expenses. She
went overseas, serving in France, and since her return
makes her home with her parents. She is very fond of travel and is
somewhat of a globe trotter, having visited every continent, as well as
the South Seas, Philippines, New Zealand,· Australia, West
Indies and Azores, and has also dug gold in Alaska. She has crossed the
Arctic Circle and has sailed almost to the Antarctic Circle. She is now
in charge of the relief work for San Jose Post No. 89, American Legion,
and is a member of American Women's Overseas League of San Francisco.
Edith, a graduate of the Santa Clara high school, was also very
patriotic and was placed in charge of Red Cross work for the JefIerson
district during the war. She is now the wife of Floyd Jamison, who
served with the A. E. F. in France; he is an electrician, and they make
their home in San Jose, where she is active in the work of Trinity
Episcopal Church.
In national political affairs a Republican, and in respect to creed and
church membership an Episcopalian, Mr. Brown and his wife are
broad-minded citizens, delighted when participating in church work
under any. acceptable banner. Mr. Brown's life is guided by the Golden
Rule of doing unto others as he would be done by. He is one of the most
liberal and enterprising men in Santa Clara County, and there is no
worthy movement that has for its aim the betterment of the conditions
and the eahancing of the happiness of the people of his community that
does not receive his hearty support. He is well known as a very liberal
contributor to civic organizations and the Red Cross, as well as other
humani-tarian societies. It is to men of the type of George Brown that
California owes much of its present development, for he was not afraid
to venture and work to develop the raw land until the orchards of the
valley have become a world-famous garden spot. Mr. Brown is well read
and well iniormed, and having a retentive memory and being a good
narrator of events, is an interesting conversationalist. He has a
comfortable home, and being a big-hearted man, he loves to dispense the
old-time California hospitality, so that it is indeed a pleasure to
enjoy a visit with this pleasant old pioneer.