Edgar William Brown
Encyclopedia
Edgar William Brown, Sr. (1859–1917) was a physician who turned from the medical practice to become one of the most successful businessmen in the southern United States
. His business contributions would help fuel the industrial development of the city of Orange, Texas
.
Edgar W. Brown was born in Ringgold, Georgia
on November 22, 1859, to Dr. Samuel M. and Georgia (Malone) Brown. After the Civil War
, his family moved several times before settling in Orange in 1871. He attended Tulane University
at New Orleans and graduated in 1882 with honors. He immediately returned to Orange to begin his medical practice. On November 28, 1888 he married Carrie Launa Lutcher, the daughter of the lumber baron Henry J. Lutcher
. In the late 1880s, under the influence of his wife’s family, Brown gave up his medical practice to devote full time to work in the lumber
business.
His first twelve years in the lumber trade was spent supervising a sawmill in Donner, Louisiana. He would go on to become president of the Lutcher and Moore Cypress Lumber Company, and a partner in the Yellow Pine Paper Mill in which he shared interests with his brother-in-law William Henry Stark
. During the time in which the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
was being developed, Brown along with his father-in-law and other key local businessmen would help influence the development of the deepwater channel link to the Port of Orange. Brown also partnered with W.H. Stark to begin the construction of an iron bridge to replace the ferry that crossed the Sabine River to provide another transportation link for Texas and Louisiana. Brown’s other influence on the region was the development of irrigation canals for rice
farming and his financial investments in the local growing oil industry.
On June 16, 1917 Brown died of cancer and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Orange, Texas. A marker was built by the Texas Historical Commission
to commemorate his business accomplishments.
has benefited from the Linden estate (now known as the Brown Center) consisting of the mansion and its sixty-two acres that is used as an educational center.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His business contributions would help fuel the industrial development of the city of Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
.
Edgar W. Brown was born in Ringgold, Georgia
Ringgold, Georgia
Ringgold is a city in Catoosa County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,422 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Catoosa County...
on November 22, 1859, to Dr. Samuel M. and Georgia (Malone) Brown. After the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, his family moved several times before settling in Orange in 1871. He attended Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
at New Orleans and graduated in 1882 with honors. He immediately returned to Orange to begin his medical practice. On November 28, 1888 he married Carrie Launa Lutcher, the daughter of the lumber baron Henry J. Lutcher
Henry J. Lutcher
Henry Jacob Lutcher was a sawmiller and business partner of the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company. His business ventures would help establish Orange, Texas as the timber-processing capital of the South in the late 19th century and early 20th century....
. In the late 1880s, under the influence of his wife’s family, Brown gave up his medical practice to devote full time to work in the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
business.
His first twelve years in the lumber trade was spent supervising a sawmill in Donner, Louisiana. He would go on to become president of the Lutcher and Moore Cypress Lumber Company, and a partner in the Yellow Pine Paper Mill in which he shared interests with his brother-in-law William Henry Stark
William Henry Stark
William Henry Stark was an industrial leader whose contributions helped the city of Orange, Texas develop financially. Stark was the president of the Lutcher Moore Cypress Lumber Company of Lutcher, Louisiana....
. During the time in which the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately 1700 kilometers from Carrabelle, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas.The waterway provides a channel with a controlling...
was being developed, Brown along with his father-in-law and other key local businessmen would help influence the development of the deepwater channel link to the Port of Orange. Brown also partnered with W.H. Stark to begin the construction of an iron bridge to replace the ferry that crossed the Sabine River to provide another transportation link for Texas and Louisiana. Brown’s other influence on the region was the development of irrigation canals for rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
farming and his financial investments in the local growing oil industry.
On June 16, 1917 Brown died of cancer and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Orange, Texas. A marker was built by the Texas Historical Commission
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas....
to commemorate his business accomplishments.
The Brown family legacy
His son Edgar W. Brown, Jr., would also become a successful businessman in areas such as banking, shipbuilding, and financial projects. As a philanthropist, E.W. Brown, Jr. positively impacted the City of Orange. He gave his former residence on Green Avenue to the city of Orange for a city hall. Likewise, Lamar University at OrangeLamar State College–Orange
Lamar State College–Orange is a community college located in Orange, Texas. It currently serves around 2,000 students.-History:Opened in the fall of 1969 as an extension of Lamar University, LSC-O first held classes in a closed elementary school. Dr. Joe Ben Welch, the extension director, was...
has benefited from the Linden estate (now known as the Brown Center) consisting of the mansion and its sixty-two acres that is used as an educational center.