Shasta County History: A Redding business man, Manley Morrison Brown
Guest Writer Spotlight: Jeremy M. Tuggle: Shasta Historical Society
A farmer by the name of Ephraim Brown, and his wife Lorilla (Lillie) Brown, brought their family out west from Cortland County, New York in 1866 and they settled at French Gulch, Shasta County, California. Ephraim continued to pursue his career as a farmer at their new place. Ephraim and Lorilla remained in French Gulch. Ephraim died in 1875 and his wife Lorilla died in 1901, they are both buried in the French Gulch Cemetery. To this union, seven children were born between 1825 and 1844, respectfully. Five males and two females. Their names are the following:
1. Elsie Brown (1825-1907) married Alfred G. Bennett
2. William L. Brown (1830-1915) (Was a butcher at Redding and a resident of French Gulch in 1880.)
3. Zenas Lillie Brown (1830-?) married Louise Bastraum (Was a ferryman at Buckeye in 1877.)
4. Morrill Clay Brown (1833-?) (Was a farmer at French Gulch in 1880.)
5. Cyenas L. Brown (1836-?) (Was a farmer in French Gulch in 1880.)
6. Manley Morrison Brown (1838-1901) married Lucetta Russell
7. Caroline Brown (1844-1927) married William Watson
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While some of their grown children wanted to mine for gold. French Gulch was a booming mining community and gold fever was strong there during the late 1860s, which also had a mining district named after the town. Manley Morrison Brown, who is the main subject of this article, was born on February 22, 1838 in New York. He married his wife Lucetta Russell in 1864. Then he registered to vote on April 20, 1867, in French Gulch at the age of twenty-nine. This is where he lived and worked as a miner mining for gold.
Three years later, Brown is living with his own family in Lewiston, Trinity County, California where he was working as a laborer in a local market. At that time, Manley and Lucetta had a daughter born to them named Ella. Manley’s older brother William was also living with them, at the age of forty, and he was noted as a cattle driver.
Above: an advertisement for Manley Morrison Brown’s Bakery and Saloon at Reading (Redding), California. From the August 8, 1878, edition of the Reading Independent newspaper of Redding.
By the age of thirty-six, in 1875, Manley was employed as a ferryman and living at the town of Buckeye with his family, minus William Brown. His career as a ferryman was short lived and his family relocated to Redding. Two years later, Manley opened a bakery on the corner of Market and Tehama Streets in Redding. His bakery was called M.M. Brown’s Bakery and Saloon.
Manley M. Brown sold delicious cakes and pies which he made fresh himself. Brown was also in competition with some of the saloons in town because he also served alcohol, cigars and the locally renowned Yreka Beer at his bar inside the bakery. Then on September 5, 1878, the Reading Independent newspaper reported the following:
“Manly Brown has sold his dwelling, saloon and bakery to Grittner,of Igo. Manly made a nice profit on this trade, but we doubt if he can put the sum received – $2,000 – where it will do more good. We understand that Mr. G. is a first-class baker.” (SIC)
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While in Redding his daughter Ella attended the Redding Public School. After he sold his business he took some time to travel locally visiting family and friends in French Gulch and Shingletown. Then on, October 2, 1879, the local newspaper mentioned the following transaction involving Manley Morrison Brown:
“B.H Scott has sold his business to M.M. Brown and Hank Whitmore – both enterprising men.” (SIC) Brown and Whitmore were now the owners of a new meat market in Redding called the “New Meat Market!”. They sold fresh beef, pork, mutton, pork and corned beef. They were located on Market Street one door south of the Good Templars hall.
Above: the “New Meat Market!” proprietors: Brown & Whitmore. This advertisement is from the October 2, 1879 edition of the Reading Independent newspaper of Redding.
Later on, in February of 1880, Brown purchased Frank Whitmore’s interest and became the sole owner of this meat market in Redding. At the time he was running a first-class butcher shop and he decided to bring in his older brother William L. Brown to assist him. It was William who superintended the business affairs in the shop while he lived in French Gulch.
By the time the 1880 U.S. Census was enumerated on June 4, 1880, they had resettled in a house on Pine Street. Manley lived there with his wife Lucetta, daughter Ella, and their young sons Lewis and Dewit. He also had a servant living in the household by the name of Belle Mallom who was also a cook. It’s more than likely that Manley’s young sons attended school in Redding as well, like his daughter did.
By 1886, Manley relocated his family from Redding to Sims in the Sacramento River Canyon and he became a merchant there. Sims was a little community sometimes referred to as Southern. Later on, Manley relocated his family north to Dunsmuir, in Siskiyou County.
Then in July of 1900, Dunsmuir had a destructive fire that caused approximately $12,000 in damages and he lost his home and an additional building that he owned in that ravaging fire. Both of his places were covered by insurance. The following year, the pioneer died on July 24, 1901 at the age of sixty-three. He is buried in the Dunsmuir City Cemetery next to his wife, Lucetta, who survived him and died in 1914.
Above: Brown burial plot at the Dunsmuir City Cemetery. Photograph taken by Jeremy Tuggle on May 14, 2016.
Above: the headstone of Manley Morrison Brown and Lucetta (Russell) Brown at Dunsmuir City Cemetery. Photograph by Jeremy Tuggle on May 14, 2016.
RESOURCES:
California Voters Register, 1866
California Voters Register, 1867
1870 U.S. Census
California Voters Register, 1875
1880 U.S. Census
California Voters Register, 1886
The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, August 8, 1878
The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, September 5, 1878
The Reading independent newspaper of Redding, October 17, 1878
The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, April 17, 1879
The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, September 3, 1879
The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, October 2, 1879
School Report – The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, December 11, 1879
The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, February 6, 1880
Costly Fire At Dunsmuir – The Press Democrat newspaper of Santa Rosa, July 18, 1900
Mrs. Brown, Pioneer, Dies In Dunsmuir – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 10, 1914
Find A Grave.com: Manley Morrison Brown
Meet the writer: Jeremy M. Tuggle
Education and Community Engagement Manager – Shasta Historical Society
Jeremy M. Tuggle, born in Redding, is a descendant of 11 pioneer families who settled Shasta County between 1849-1889. Jeremy attended Shasta College and is the author of two published books, Rooted in Shasta County (2003), and A Journey Through Time: Ono and the Bald Hills (2008), as well as various articles on local history.
In 2017 Mr. Tuggle was awarded a Community Service Award, a prestigious national award for community service in historic preservation, by the Major Pierson B. Reading Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Jeremy is a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of California, and an Eagle Scout.
Tuggle has been employed at the Shasta Historical Society since November of 2009. In his present role as Education & Community Engagement Manager, Jeremy conducts research for the historical society’s programs and events, contributes to the Society’s social media presence, and ensures the highest quality guest and patron experience at our programs and community events.
Mr. Tuggle enjoys sharing his knowledge of local history and events, and is available to community organizations to present programs about Shasta County history.
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Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 16 grandchildren.
This history is wonderful and informative. Love love love it