Elizabeth Brown was early investor

Sent to The Frederick Leader and The Frederick Press, November 30, 2010

Mrs. Brown Purchased Land in 1906

In the years after this area’s settlement, people from other parts of the country were encouraged to come here to buy property or city lots.

Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, 1916

In previous weeks this column has examined some of the marketing materials that were used to promote the assets of Tillman County to potential residents and investors.

One such investor, Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, was profiled in the Frederick Leader’s July 21, 1916 industrial edition. The article follows:

“In the early days the women were as quick to see the advantages of Tillman county as the men, and many women bought property here at that time which has since proved very profitable. Mrs. Elizabeth Brown is a well known example of this kind.

“In was in the spring of 1906 that marvelous tales of a great country about Frederick, Oklahoma, reached the ears of Mrs. Brown, then residing in St. Louis. Becoming interested she determined to explore the country, and see with her own eyes whether the reports were true.

“In company with her brother she arrived in Frederick and met Stinson and Mounts and arranged to drive over the country the next day (but not in automobiles, remember). The trip they made that day would be considered very tiresome in these days of fast travel, but it was not tiresome to Mrs. Brown and her brother. They must have done some hard thinking as they drove about over the country, for at night when they came in they handed Stinson and Mounts a list of quarters they had decided to buy, that made the said Stinson and Mounts sit up and take notice.

“Mrs. Brown made annual trips to Tillman county, to look after her property, and by 1909 had become so infatuated with the country that she was willing to accept a marriage proposal from one of our citizens (Dr. Brown) and make Frederick her permanent home.

“Mrs. Brown belongs to one of the old German families that settled in and about St. Louis more than 100 years ago, but, while she is of pure Teutonic stock, she is not a hyphenated American. In fact she is one of the staunchest friends of Americanism in the country, and never loses an opportunity to admonish those of her own nationality that they owe allegiance to no flag in the world but Old Glory.”

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Joe Wynn is a member of the Tillman County Historical Society Board. He can be contacted by e-mail at tillmanokhistory@gmail.com.