West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-10-10
THE BROWN FAMILY.
First Annual Reunion Held Last
Saturday.

erings ever held in the county as
embed last y .turday, October 9Th
ut Browns Mill. in Valley district,
about half way between ReedsyIlle
and Gladesville. The Occasion was
big picnic and meeting of the
Browns and for the purpose Of ef
fecting a permanent organization
and hold an annual reunion Of the
descendants of Thomas Brown,
who came from Old Virginia to
this county in 1905 and settled near
Browns Mills, where the picnic
was held. He patented large bod Y
Of land there and died there, and
lies buried on the old place in sight
of the old Stone House, which was
built by his son William.
John Buckner Brown, another
one OF his sons, married and moved
to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1913.
and his descendants form a numer-
GUS branch of the celebrated and
widely known Brown Family. They
are scattered through Wayne, Ash
land, Richland aud Holms counties,
and some far and wide.
About nine years ago William
Wesley Brown, one of old John
Buckner Browns sons, originated
a Brown Family Reunion over there
and they have held an annual
meeting ever since.
So the numerous descendants of
the family in this country decided
to organize one also. and about a
month ago circular letters of inyi-
tation and explanation were sent
out to all those whose address was
known to the Committee, inviting
them to come in aud be counted :.
Last Saturday was the day fixed
and Providence seemed to smile
upon the occasion, for the weather
was all that could be asked for,
and more at tins season of the year.
The day was simply perfect for a
picnic, and the brownies gather
ed from three or four counties,
coming in hacks, buggies and
spring wagons, and some who got
left at the railroad. walked eight
miles to be there. The place where
it was held Is splendid situation
for anything of the kind. The
house being situated on beautiful
knoll, sloping off around and dotted
with pine trees, and the whole
covered with good sod.
A table fifty-one feet long was
constructed, with seats around it,
and the whole loaded down with
all the delicacIes of the season. All
those that could conveniently do SO
brought well filled baskets and
boxes of good things" and the
sight when all gathered around the
festal board was tempting enough
to please the most confirmed dys-
peptic. There were bushels of the
finest apples, bananas, turkeys and
chickens roasted, cakes enough foi
three or four church festivals and
swell weddings, dozens of water
melons, and other things too nu.
merous to mention, but it was q
feast that d country editor don't
often get whack at. We secured
a seat right by a big roasted gobbler
that weighed eighteen pounds, and
the way things disappeared from
that table, in our reach, was a
caution. There were ninety-seven
ut the first table and several for the
second, so that there was over a
hundred present altogether, and WIG
honestly never saw people enjoy
themselves and have as good a time
at picnic as on that occasion.
Eugene Lanham, of Irondale,
acted as Chief Marshal, and Amos
Harris, of Morgsntown, a colored
man who used to belong to jacob
linn and lived there before the war,
was there as Head Waiter at the
table.
After the pIcnicing was over, the
meeting was cilled to order by j.
SlidSll Brown, and Eugene Lanham
was elected Chairman and j. s,
Brown, Secretary. Speeches were
the order of the exercises, and DR..
Ashford Brown, Of Webster, being
the Oldest Brown present, spoke
fret. lie was followed by Granville
Brown, Esq, Of Halleck. Then
Miss Maud Brown, Of Kingwood
recited "McCullouOh1a Lam