Who's George?!!

My daughter has participated in an activity called "Where's George?" - a currency tracking project which involves stamping the website address on a dollar bill, entering the bill's serial number on the website, putting the bill into circulation, and then checking the website to see the locations where it has been found.  An interesting activity!

"Where's George" is a fun game to play; but finding out who our George is - that's serious business!

Our George moved around quite a bit, and I want to tell you some things I have learned about where George had been; but the first and larger question is:

Who's George?!!

This is the question we've all wanted the answer to!  For those in my generation, George Eugene Brown Sr. is our great-grandfather, and we'd like to know more about him.  I'm going to share with you some pieces of the puzzle of George; I want to tell you how some of the pieces fit together; and I'll share some puzzle pieces that may or may not fit into the picture in the end, since we must never throw away a puzzle piece until the puzzle is finished!

When I first asked Grandma (May Ludwig Brown) about the parents and siblings of Grandpa (Walter Blanchard Brown), she wasn't able to share as much information about them as she had given me about her family.  She said that George had been adopted by Joseph and Elizabeth Baker (which he was); she thought that the Bakers might have lived up in Washington DC when they adopted George (they did not); and she thought that the Baker family had made a trip to Georgia, where George had met his wife Narcissa (probably not).

The story handed down was that George's father and older brothers ("tall men") were on their way out West, and realized George was too young to make the trip; so they advertised in a newspaper for someone to take care of him until they came back.  The Bakers answered the advertisement, and left his last name as Brown, in case family ever came looking for him, but no one ever did.  The assumption was that the father and brothers were killed by Indians.

I can't begin to tell you how much time I spent trying to find information based on those slim clues; but I was never able to find anything to support that account. 

Additionally, I have researched the Baker family history, which includes a whole section in the library at San Augustine, Texas.  [I forgot to say - I discovered Joseph and Elizabeth Baker living in San Augustine, Texas, in the 1860 census.  Because of Joseph's work, they were also on the census in Huntsville, Texas, that same year!]  The Baker family's version of the story was that Joseph met Elizabeth in Pennsylvania (probably not); that they married in 1857 (we know they married in upstate New York); and that "on the way home they met a lady on the streets with her son, George Brown...she gave them George to raise."  A number of statements in the Baker account are inaccurate (including Elizabeth's maiden name), which casts doubt on the details of their story.  I have found cousins who have heard yet other accounts...

DNA testing has been particularly helpful in solving the question of who George was; and I will talk about that further in a later post.  But I will tell you today (to relieve the suspense, in case you have ever wondered) that we are indeed Browns!  In 2012, prompted by a photo that my brother Larry and his wife saw in the Appomattox Courthouse near their home in Virginia, I began researching the Brown line for this gentleman:

This layout includes a photograph of William Edward Brown - we thought at first that he might have been an ancestor, but found that he isn't!

Any of you who know Larry personally will know that this man bears a distinct likeness to Larry.  When I located this man on a tree at Ancestry, later photos of William Edward Brown looked even more like Larry!  I became acquainted with a descendant of this man's family; in fact, Anne (Brown) Franklin has become a good friend, and has helped me research.  Her brother and my brother each did Y-DNA testing in 2012.  Although Anne's brother and my brother didn't 'match', it did become evident that our family name is indeed 'Brown'!  I added Larry's DNA information to the Brown Project at FTDNA, and we are categorized as being a part of Brown Group 10.  A great deal of research has been done on the origins of this group; but we still didn't know who the 'bridge' was that joined our family to that group.

This is the area in San Augustine where George & Narcissa Brown owned property in the late 1800's.

We made a road trip to East Texas in 2014.  We were able to actually meet with a very nice lady who is a Baker family descendant, as well as visiting the San Augustine Library and  San Augustine Cemetery.  We went through books of legal documents (land records, weddings, court records, etc.) in San Augustine, and were able to view original documents at the Ralph Steen Library in Nacogdoches.  We also went through records at courthouses in Livingston and Coldspring; at Montgomery County Public Library in Conroe; and at the Huntsville Public Library.  I brought back over 560 photos of documents, as well as photos of various locations we visited.  In February of 2014 we knew very little of George's origins, and didn't really learn anything about his parents; but we did learn a great deal about the Baker family, and brought back clues (via details of a lawsuit!) that helped me find and meet a descendant of Elizabeth Breed Baker's family (Elizabeth's mother was a Rodger).  At that time Joyce Rodger lived an hour from our home here, and spending time with her has been both delightful and helpful!  Joyce became a friend, and we've enjoyed doing research together.

There are so many different pieces to this puzzle!  I think I'll attempt to present them to you in the form of a timeline.  My brain actually does better with a chronological presentation - although that may not be obvious so far in this blog post!

1856 - Birth:  according to the 1900 census, George was born in March of 1856.  His adoptive mother, Elizabeth Baker, was living with George's family in 1900, so she may have even given that information.
As to the birth location: the document which was filled out when his son Frederick Morgan Brown was in France gives his birth location as being Cold Springs, Texas (now Coldspring).  That is a significant location for a variety of reasons.  Joseph Baker was a Stage Contractor, and had a route that had a stop in Cold Springs; and Joseph Baker had a friend (his commander when he was in the Mexican War) who was from Massachusetts; but after the war he returned with Joseph to San Augustine, married there, and later operated a plantation at Cold Springs.  That man, Otis Marshall Wheeler, has been a person of interest to me, a possible puzzle piece...

1857 - Marriage of Joseph Baker and Elizabeth Breed:  not technically a part of George's story, but may be significant.

June 1, 1860 - Joseph & Elizabeth Baker were accompanied by a 5-year old male.

1860 - An Unconfirmed Clue:  Fact:  Joseph and Elizabeth were staying at the Eutaw House Hotel in Huntsville, Texas, on June 1, 1860; a five-year-old boy, listed as J.H. Morgan Jr., was with them.  Fact:  Huntsville is about 35 miles from Cold Springs (Coldspring).  Fact:  There is a J.H. Morgan, age 24 listed on the census as a stage driver in San Antonio on August 2,1860; he was staying in a boarding house.  Perhaps he was the father of the boy who was staying with Joseph and Elizabeth.

J. H. Morgan, stage driver, in San Antonio on August 2, 1860.

The 'J. H. Morgan clue' may mean nothing.  However, George and Narcissa did give their sons significant names.   May reported that their first son, Walter, was named for a dear friend, Walter Blanchard; the next son (George Eugene Brown Jr) was named for his father; the next son (Joseph Baker Brown) was named for George's adoptive father; the next son (Frederick Morgan Brown) was named for a friend; and the twins were given middle names (McMurrain & Motley) that reflected their mother's maiden name, and their grandmother's maiden name.  Then, Herbert M Brown named his sons McMurrain "Mac" Baker Brown and Pete Morgan Brown.  Since the 'McMurrain' and 'Baker' were significant, might 'Morgan' also be significant?  This comes under the category of a puzzle piece which doesn't fit - so far.

There could be a possibility that the boy in the 1860 census in Huntsville was actually George.  If child was truly a Morgan, George was adopted between June 1860 and April 30, 1864, when Joseph T Baker died in the War Between the States.

Early in my research, I received xerox copies of copies of photos of George and his adoptive parents:

Joseph T Baker - George Eugene Brown - Elizabeth Breed Baker

This is the only photograph I have of George, prior to about 1900.  It would be fantastic to find another photo of him as a child or young man!!

1864 - Death of George's Adoptive Father:
The death of Joseph T Baker precipitated a number of changes in George's life.  Joseph Baker was the son of a 1st wife; his step-mother and step-siblings may not have been anxious for Elizabeth & the adopted son to inherit - not totally guess-work on my part, considering some legal battles which later went into the 1920's!  Add to that the fact that Elizabeth would have been considered a 'Yankee' and it's easy to see that staying in San Augustine might have been less than comfortable.

1865 - George is in New York:
Apparently Elizabeth went home to her father and step-mother, and is living with George in the village of Jamestown, town of Ellicott, in Chautauqua County, New York on June 26, 1865.  George is listed as George E. Brown, age 9, and is identified as an adopted son, born in Texas:

Elizabeth Baker age 36 - George E Brown age 9 - Thomas Breed household

I'm so glad that some states have a state census on the years between the U.S. Census - very helpful!

The New York census for 1870 shows that Elizabeth's father died in January of 1870.  Some members of Elizabeth's mother's family had moved to Wisconsin; which may explain the fact that Elizabeth and George (referred to as George Baker here) were at this location.  The Butler and Davis couples were also from Chautauqua County, New York, so likely were friends.

1870 - Elizabeth & George Baker - with Henry & Emily Butler, and Wm & Louise Davis, in Walworth Co, Wisconsin.

1873 - Maybe...?
A George E. Brown was attending Ripon College at Fond Du Lac Co., Wisconsin; he was listed as a Preparatory Student from Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Our George would have turned 17 in 1873.  This may be a possibility, since the work he did later on indicated that he was well educated.

...a George E Brown was a Preparatory Student in 1873...

1880 - George is back in San Augustine, Texas!
In this census, George, age 24, is listed as a merchant.  It shows that he was born in Texas, that his father was born in Connecticut (this would be Joseph T Baker), and that his mother was born in New York (this would be Elizabeth Breed Baker).

George Brown and Elizabeth Baker were living in San Augustine, Texas, on June 7, 1880.

Something else interesting occurred in 1880 - the Liberty Hill Baptist Church was organized that year.  It is still an active church, and is in the area where George and his wife later lived (see the church sign in a photo above).  The cornerstone from the original church is included in the new building, which still adjoins Liberty Hill Cemetery, where a niece of George and Narcissa is buried.  The second person on the list of Charter Members, Mrs. Mollie (Mary Jane) Snelling, is a sister of Narcissa McMurrain Brown.  Because her sister and family were already living in San Augustine, it is likely that George met his wife there - perhaps Narcissa came to visit her sister?

1883 - George E Brown married Narcissa Lorena McMurrain! 

Cornerstone of Liberty Hill Baptist Church in San Augustine, Texas - located 2-3 miles north of San Augustine on Texas Hwy. 147.

On April 12, 1883, George E Brown and Narcissa Lorena McMurrain were married.  When I found the first online index copy which listed their names, I was excited!  Then, when were were in San Augustine, at the County Records Department, and found the page where their marriage was recorded in a large book from the 1800's, I was even more excited!

...a record of the marriage of George Eugene Brown and Narcissa Lorena McMurrain, April 12, 1883...

But then we made a trip up to Nacogdoches, to the Ralph Steen Library.  I had done my homework ahead of time, from an online index; and I had a list of box numbers I wanted to look through.  I actually had a bad case of bronchitis at the time, and had been going through boxes and folders for hours.  I almost didn't have them bring the last box out.  I'm so glad I did!!   Here is what it said on the lid of the box:

...one last box to look through: Marriage Licenses 1856-1903, unprocessed... 

They had a small sleeve for marriage licenses for 1883.  Could it possibly hold what I hoped to see??

...their actual wedding license was there - I was ecstatic!!

...the outside...

...and the inside!!

As long as this post is, I do have a few more things to share about who George E. Brown was.  Did you know that George was the editor of a newspaper?  Did you know that he was part of what may have been the first affirmative action project, when he received a Civil Service appointment in 1890?  Stay tuned for more about George!