Treasure Chest Thursday: William W. Brown in Photos

Just a quick interruption of Lottie's memoirs to give you this.

William Warner Brown, pictured here with younger sister, Bessie. He was known, at least during his adult life, as "Billie", but we refer to him as "W.W.".

Born in Colfax County, Nebraska, oldest child of Oscar F. Brown and Frances E. Lawrence. He lived to the ripe old age of 62 years (1876-1938). As a young man, he was married once in Nebraska to Nora Della Bingham. We don't know what happened to that relationship, but they did have one daughter; Marie Frances Brown. This marriage took place in 1904 in Fullerton, Nance County, Nebraska.

1907 finds him marrying young Emma Anderson in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. Her family were already residents of Orting.


By the time of the 1910 US Census, they were located in Orting, Pierce County, Washington. Oral history tells us he, "bought a ticket for as far west as he could afford". So, we know he made this journey sometime between Apr 1905 when his first daughter was born and 1907. They remained in Orting, with the exception of a brief stint in the Tenino area of Thurston County, Washington. There they lost their eldest son, Percy, to a automobile / train accident. He was only 19 years of age. (You can read about that incident on a previous post.)  The family consisted of eight children: Percy, Harley, Dorothy, Hazel, William, Margorie, Robert and Donald.

Wedding photo for W.W. and Emma Anderson

W.W. was well known around town. He was a member of fraternal organizations, including the I.O.O.F., and found himself in many roles throughout his life in the community: owner/operator of the livery stable, he drove the "school bus" which was a large covered wagon with his horse team, "Dick and Shep" leading the way, a member of city council, road supervisor for the county, deputy sheriff, school director, member of the first fire department and ran the farm during its first years of inception at the nearby Orting Soldiers Home & Cemetery, a veteran's home, which is still operating today.

William and Emma are both buried in the Orting Cemetery, outside of town, as well as several other family members, both on the Brown and Anderson side. His mother, Frances or "Frankie", is buried across the street as the widow of a veteran, at the Orting Soldiers Home Cemetery.