Caldwell County MO Archives History .....O.O. BROWN EARLY MERCHANT IN HAMILTON, 1868-1883 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 8, 2008, 4:05 pm

			O.O. BROWN EARLY MERCHANT IN HAMILTON, 1868-1883
	Narrators:  Alma Howard and Others

     It was in 1868, when O.O. Brown and family came to Hamilton to open up a 
store, dry goods.  At first, he was not well fixed and he started in a store 
building with two rooms, they lived in the back and kept store in front.  This 
was on the southwest corner of the library lot at present.  People always 
called "Double O Brown," a shrewd merchant.  They prospered and soon were able 
to build a larger frame, of two stories to the south about two lots down on 
the same street, south Broadway near the tracks.  There he still grew and in 
the middle 70s, he built a brick two story store and home to the south of the 
frame.  The family used the frame and the brick upstairs and had connecting 
doors.  His store was one of the leaders in the community in the late 70s and 
early 80s.
     In the ceiling of the brick store was a trap door through which the 
family upstairs could act quickly in case any one entered the store below at 
night.  Of these O.O. Brown buildings, one was torn down several years ago, 
but the brick part yet stands as the Souders home and garage.
     His family consisted of wife, daughters, Mamie and Blanche, both leaders 
in young society.  Some of the early clerks were Mollie Wagenseller, daughter 
of Capt. Wagenseller of this city, and John Fine.  The family moved to Kansas 
1883 and he died 1903.  These buildings have been in various hands.  Dr. 
Stoller lived there and had a grocery and later the Grigsby family owned them 
for a home.
     Interview  1834.


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