William Phineas Browne
Encyclopedia
William Phineas Browne (July 9, 1804 – January 13, 1869), a lawyer
by profession, was a leading pioneer in the coal mining
business in Alabama
, credited with operating that state’s first systematic underground coal mines prior to, and during, the American Civil War
.
Browne’s coal mines, located near Montevallo, Alabama
, were under contract to the Confederate Navy during the Civil War. The Confederate war effort was also supplied by Browne’s iron furnace located on the Little Cahaba River until it was destroyed by Union forces led by General James H. Wilson
in April 1865 .
Browne was born in Waltham, Massachusetts
in 1804. He was the son of Phineas Browne, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and a descendant of William Bradford
, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony
. Browne emigrated to Alabama in 1831 to join his cousin to work on a construction contract for the Tennessee Canal at Muscle Shoals
. Browne soon sold his shares in this contract and moved on to New Orleans to work on a canal from the new American Quarter to Lake Pontchartrain
. Browne was involved in subsequent business ventures including a steamship company operating between New Orleans and Mobile
, general merchandise stores, corn mills, lumber, coal, and iron.
Browne also invested heavily in real estate in Mobile, Alabama, along with Henry Hitchcock
, Alabama’s first Attorney General and later Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
. In addition to his business adventures, Browne was involved in Alabama politics, serving in the Alabama Legislature
in 1845, representing the Mobile district, and attended the 1860 Democratic National Convention as a delegate.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
by profession, was a leading pioneer in the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
business in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, credited with operating that state’s first systematic underground coal mines prior to, and during, the American 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...
.
Browne’s coal mines, located near Montevallo, Alabama
Montevallo, Alabama
Montevallo is a city in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. A college town, it is the home of the University of Montevallo, a public liberal arts university with around 3000 students. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city of Montevallo is 4,825....
, were under contract to the Confederate Navy during the Civil War. The Confederate war effort was also supplied by Browne’s iron furnace located on the Little Cahaba River until it was destroyed by Union forces led by General James H. Wilson
James H. Wilson
James Harrison Wilson was a United States Army topographic engineer, a Union Army Major General in the American Civil War and later wars, a railroad executive, and author.-Early life and engineering:...
in April 1865 .
Browne was born in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
in 1804. He was the son of Phineas Browne, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and a descendant of William Bradford
William Bradford (1590-1657)
William Bradford was an English leader of the settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and served as governor for over 30 years after John Carver died. His journal was published as Of Plymouth Plantation...
, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
. Browne emigrated to Alabama in 1831 to join his cousin to work on a construction contract for the Tennessee Canal at Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
. Browne soon sold his shares in this contract and moved on to New Orleans to work on a canal from the new American Quarter to Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
. Browne was involved in subsequent business ventures including a steamship company operating between New Orleans and Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, general merchandise stores, corn mills, lumber, coal, and iron.
Browne also invested heavily in real estate in Mobile, Alabama, along with Henry Hitchcock
Henry Hitchcock
Henry Hitchcock was the first Attorney General of Alabama, having been elected by the Alabama General Assembly in December 1819 in its initial session...
, Alabama’s first Attorney General and later Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
Alabama Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of an elected Chief Justice and eight elected Associate Justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms. The Governor of Alabama may fill vacancies when they occur...
. In addition to his business adventures, Browne was involved in Alabama politics, serving in the Alabama Legislature
Alabama Legislature
The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama Senate, with 35 members...
in 1845, representing the Mobile district, and attended the 1860 Democratic National Convention as a delegate.
External links
- http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1119 William P. Brown article, Encyclopedia of Alabama