The Browntown Museum opened August 1990 on Browntown’s Centennial Birthday. The Village was founded in 1890 by William (Grizzly) Brown.

   A year ago the Museum committee accomplished a major face lift. Every item was sectioned    into categories. The Government Section includes Village, County, and State US and Postal services; the House Hold section includes a kitchen and bedroom; other sections include the Old Schools and Churches of the area, men and woman’s bands of yesteryear and many other historical items including Browntown’s original jail.

   The entrance to the Museum is covered with a patriotic mural of our flag and soldiers.

The mural is pictured on post cards which are for sale at the Museum.

   To further show our appreciation to the soldiers who fought for our freedom the

“Civic Center” located in the Browntown, Cadiz, Jordan Fire Station features 262 names of soldiers from our area on a black graphite wall.

    Come and see our town and have fun!

                                                                  Helen Johnson, Museum Director

                 BROWNTOWN COMMUNITY MUSEUM

                                     HISTORICAL NEWS 

DEPOT ON FIRE  

                                           August 13, 1909

Lightning Struck C.M. & St. P Station at Browntown

          Fire broke out in the C.M. & St. P. depot at Browntown last

night during the electric storm. Arthur Wellman and George

Bechtolt were at the creamery and broke into the building through

the middle door. Mr Bechtolt quenched the flames with the water

bucket which was found in the freight room.

          The fire was burning at a lively pace in and around the desk.

The telegraph instrument and telephone with some papers were

ruined.

          Agent McDonnell was very fortunate in being away to supper

when the lightning struck. The lightning ran in on the telegraph

wires.

                     TRAIN CREW SAVES BRIDGE

                                    July 17^th, 1909

  LONG RAILROAD BRIDGE EAST OF BROWNTOWN 

       CAUGHT FIRE FRIDAY AFTERNOON            

     The C. M. & P Bridge, a mile and a quarter east of Browntown caught fire at 5:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon and would have burned down had it not been for the arrival of an extra freight in charge of Conductor Chas. Corson. The crew fought the fire with the water in the bridge tanks and saved the bridge. The discovery is considered a lucky one as there was no one around at the time the fire got its start. The flames were four feet high when the special freight appeared.           

     The bridge is seventy feet long and thirty feet deep.

 "Stops Lady At Point of Revolver" - March 2, 1910

Harry Kumbrik Arrested By Deputy Sheriff Stover of Browntown 

STATUTORY CHARGE ENTERED AND MAN IS HELD FOR HEARING UNDER $1,000 BONDS.

     A fellow giving his name as Harry Kimbrick and his residence as being near Argyle, is under arrest here, charged with a statutory offense and his hearing has been set for next Saturday at 10 o'clock before Justice Willard Saucerman.

     Miss Zelpha Penniston, whose parents reside at Argyle and who has been teaching the past two years in District No. 12 and known as the Montgomery school near Dill, is the complaining witness.

     According to the young lady's story, told to the Justice here this morning, she was returning to her boarding place Monday after dismissing school when stopped by Kimbrick, who drew a revolver and demanded that she return with him to the school house.

     The school house is situated on the Frank Montgomery farm about two miles south of Dill station. The young lady is boarding at the Fred Mau home which is only about a quarter of a mile north of the school. It was about midway between the school and the Mauplace that she was stopped.

     When stopped, Miss Penniston tried to walk around him, when he pulled the revolver from an inside over coat pocket and demanded that she accompany him or take the consequences. It was just at this critical point that Ole Sandley on returning to his home which is south of the school, drove over the brow of a hill and had to pass them. Kim brick saw him coming and cautioned her not to say anything to him. She feared that he might shoot them both and so refrained from telling her fears but began to walk rapidly toward her boarding place. They passed Mr. Sandley and to all appearances to him she was accompanied by some friend.

     They arrived at the Mau place before Mr. Sandley disappeared and he made no resistance when she hurried into the house. Kimbrick went on down to the Dill station where he was later arrested by Deputy Sheriff John Stover of Browntown.

     Officer Stover was notifed of the affair by telephone and he immediately set out to hunt his man. He first got in communication with Mr. E. C. Blunt, agent at Dill, and told him to keep a look out for the fellow. Mr. Blunt had just received the message, when Kimbrick appeared at the station and Mr. Blunt kept him around by talking to him until Officer Stover arrived. When arrested, a revolver with all chambers loaded was taken from him. He was taken to Browntown and held over night and brought here on the morning train. Miss Penniston accompanied by Mr. Frank Montgomery, who is president of the school board, came on the same train and entered the charge and identified Kimbrick as the man, in the Justice's rooms. Kimbrick was held for his hearing Saturday under $1,000 bonds which he was unable to furnish.

     Kimbrik's story as to his appearance in the locality, after pleading not guilty to the charge, is that he had assisted his father in moving from near Darlington to near Argyle and that he had driven the team back to Darlington and was returning to Argyle by train.

     He states he is the son of A. A. Kimbrick and that they, for the past two years lived on a farm five miles southeast of Darlington. Six months of this time Kimbrick says he was in Nebraska, working on a farm. According to his statements they lived on the Robert Driver farm near Darlington, but have now moved ot the Frank Godfrey farm near argyle.

     His story is not in complete accord with the statements of others who are connected with the case. A Mr. Williams, who lives at South Wayne states Kimbrik appraoached him on the train after they had passed through South Wayne and asked him "what station it was they had just passed." It appears to the officers that a man who had lived for a year and a half within a few miles of Gratiot, would know that the next station east, was South Wayne.

     He got off the train at Dill and asked Kisley Burrington and Rex Tucker, two boys aged 12 and 8 years, where the school house was located. They told him and he walked away taking the wagon road in the direction of the school. Later at the Dill station the Burrington boy identified him as the one who had asked the way to the school house and pointing his finger at Kimbrik said "you are the fellow that did it."

     When questioned about his hearing he said he certainly intended to fight the case but that it was his first arrest and knew little about the process of justice.

     Sheriff Ball confirmed part of his story this afternoon by telephoning to Argyle, learning that Mr. and Mrs. Kimbrick moved onto the John Barry farm three and a half miles south of Argyle on Monday.

     Kimbrick is a man about 35 years of age, height about 5 feet 8 inches, of dark smooth face and swarthy complexion, dark hair and eyes, and dressed rather shabbily. He wore a dark overcoat of black and grey cloth, sack coat, vest and trousers of dark material and a black slouch hat. He could easily be taken for a tramp from his appearance.