David G. Browne
History of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894 

David G. Browne, Collector of Customs for the district of 
Montana and Idaho, was born near Belfast, 
January 16, 1859. He attended the public schools until he 
was fourteen and afterward, by self-instruction, 
became an expert bookkeeper and accountant. In 1876 he came 
to the United States and proceeded at once to the 
Utah Territory, where his uncle then resided. Here he entered 
the employ of Wells Fargo and Company, becoming 
their agent at Kelton; this position he held about a year 
gaining the first insight into the transportation 
business in which he afterward became prominent and successful. 

In 1878 he gave up his position to accept that of conductor of a 
mule train, freighting from Corinne Utah to 
Montana points. By the next spring he had saved money enough to 
be the owner of a twelve-mule team himself and 
he engaged in freighting from river and railroad points to the 
business centers and mining camps of the Territory. 
Before the season closed he added another team to his outfit and 
in the next year, 1890 was the owner and wagon boss 
of four twelve-mule teams, thoroughly equipped. From this time 
Mr. Browne made Fort Benton his headquarters and 
as it is the port-of-entry of his customs district it is still 
his home. 

During the active transportation period from 1879 to 1885, Mr. 
Browne held a front rank among the freighters of 
the Territory and few, if any, were more successful in the 
financial way. In the spring of 1881, Mr. Browne took 
charge of the office of W.S. Wetzel and Company, general 
merchants, at Fort Benton and had virtual charge of the 
firm's affairs. Besides attending to this immense business 
and keeping his teams on the road, he managed in 1882
to get a monopoly of the ferry business at Fort Benton from 
which he made $15,000 as a side issue. In December 
1882 W.S. Wetzel and Company failed and Mr. Browne was 
appointed assignee; the assets of the firm amounted to 
$250,000 and he succeeded in winding up its affairs in a 
satisfactory manner in a little more than a year. 
In 1883, Mr. Browne engaged in Government contracting, 
securing that year among others, the large hay contract 
at Fort Assiniboine. In 1885 he had the government transportation 
contracts for Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska, 
carrying them through to the satisfaction of Uncle Sam and 
everyone concerned. In 1886 he accepted a position 
in the Bank of Northern Montana at Fort Benton and on the 
organization of the Stockmen's National Bank of that city, 
became a stockholder and director in it and to him is largely 
due the success of that financial institution. 

He is also interested in cattle herds on the Marias range and 
has large real estate and mining interests throughout 
the state. Mr. Browne has always taken an interest in local 
and general politics and for several years past 
has been the undisputed leader of his party in Choteau County. 
He has served his city as Alderman and his County 
as Commissioner for a number of terms. He was a member of the 
State Constitutional Convention and served on many
of the most important committees of that body; and in 1891-92 
served as a member of the State Board of the World's
Fair managers, of which body he was treasurer. He has been 
chairman of the County Central Committee for six years,
in his district and has served as a member of the State 
Democratic Central Committee for a like period and is always 
a conspicuous figure in the county, state and national 
conventions. When at the beginning of the present
administration, Mr. Browne received the appointment of 
Collector of Customs for Montana and Idaho the Democracy 
of the state with one accord approved and applauded his 
selection. 

Mr. Brown was married in 1883 to Emma Wright of Fort Benton who 
died in 1891. He has two sons, seven and
ten years of age. 


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