NEWS: Brown family trousers, Crittenden Co, KY From: Brenda Jerome Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 Crittenden Press, Marion, KY, 16 Jan 1924 Trousers Our Ancesters[sic] Wore Mr. W.H. Brown, residing near View, this county [Crittenden], has a pair of trousers that has passed the 100th anniversary of its existance, being approximately 125 years old. Mr. Brown has not been wearing these trousers all this time. They were originally owned and worn by his grandfather, David Brown, who when about to depart this life and preferring not to be buried in them, gave them to his son, Washington Brown, who in turn presented them to the latter's son, the present owner. The pantaloons are in a good state of preservation, but it could not be said that they are cut in the present day Fifth Avenue style. They have no place for a belt, neither have they buttons to which suspenders might be attached, but they have flops [sic] with buttonholes which buttoned on to some kind of waist-coat, which held them in place as the more modern improvements. David Brown came to what is now Crittenden County from Tennessee along in the 1790's and settled on what is known as the Bill Sisco place, now owned by Hiram Kirk, near View. The trousers are the product of flax which David grew on this farm. He cut the flax with a sickle, beat it, then ran it through a hackle, which converted it into tow. Mrs. Brown then took the tow, spun it into thread on a home-made spinning wheel, wove it into cloth on a home-made loom, cut the goods in the prevailing style, made the trousers without the use of a sewing machine - and there they were, ready for her husband to wear to Sunday School. So well was the work done that the trousers are apparently good for another hundred years. ***************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent.