Frank D. Brown
History of Montana, 1898
US Genweb Montana Archives

Frank D. Brown, Phillipsburg, Montana is prominently identified 
with real estate, mining and insurance interests in this part 
of Montana and is one of the most enterprising businessmen of 
his town.

He was born in Nelson County Virginia, November 13, 1845 and is 
related to some of the earliest and most illustrious families 
of Virginia among whom are the Flourneys, Cabes, Harrisons, 
McClellands and Scotts.  Further mention of his family history 
will be found in the sketch of his brother, Wingfield I. Brown

The subject of our sketch spent his early life in his native 
state and was still a boy in his teens when the Civil War broke 
out and he was among the first to enter the service.  March 15, 
1861 he enlisted in Company D., Twenty Fifth Battalion Virginia 
Volunteers, that for a time did provost duty around Richmond.  
In November of that year he was detailed to the Quartermaster's 
Department in charge of Captain James B. McClelland and the 
following year was transferred to the War Department as an 
orderly under his cousin Hon. James A. Seddon, the 
Confederate Secretary of War.  Upon the retirement of 
his uncle from this position, Mr. Brown returned to his 
company and when his term of enlistment expired in 
December 1862 he was detached and sent out in the marine 
army and served on the steamer Powhatan, tender to the 
ironclad Richmond.  In April of the following year, 
while on a foraging expedition in a cornfield, in company 
with a boat's crew, young Brown and all with him were 
captured by a detachment of Pennsylvania cavalry.  They 
were taken to Harrison's Landing and thence to Fortress 
Monroe, where they were paroled and given transportation 
to St. Louis.

In May 1863, we find Mr. Brown on a steamer of the Norwest 
Company en route to Old Fort Union.  His stay here was brief 
and in December of the same year he landed at Ft. Benton.  
His early years in Montana were full of variety and many 
exciting experiences, his summers being spent in mining and 
prospecting and his winters in "wolfing."  Wolfing was the 
securing of wolf skins by trapping, shooting and poisoning 
gray wolves and the business was often attended with great 
danger and hardship, as the hunters had to camp out during 
the severe weather and much of the time travel at night in 
order to avoid hostile Indians.  But although a hazardous 
business it was profitable.  Two of the men with whom he was 
engaged in this occupation on the Yellowstone in the early 
80's-Jack Gorman and Keesee-were afterward killed by 
Indians below Ft. Benton in 1876.

For three summers Mr. Brown mined near Radersburg Montana.  
In the fall of 1868 in company with about fifty others, he went 
to Utah expecting to go into Cotton Canon but on account of the 
great severity of the winter stopped at Salt Lake City.  In 
Company with one John Wickle, Mr. Brown kept what was called 
the Elephant Corral, opposite Emigrant Square in that city.  
In the spring he and many other Gentiles were ordered to leave 
the place and from Salt Lake City they went to Evanston on 
Bear River where he located some coalmines.  Not long 
afterward he sold his claims and returned to Montana.  
The winter of 1870 he was on the Yellowstone.  In the 
spring he entered the employ of A.J. Davis with whom he 
remained until 1877 with the exception of some time in the 
year 1873 when he was with the Baker Yellowstone expedition.  
While in the employ of Mr. Davis he located a number of 
valuable mines, among which was the Lexington mine of 
Butte Montana.

Since 1877 Mr. Brown has been identified with Phillipsburg.  
Upon coming here he entered the employ of the Northwestern 
Mining Company, quitting the company with its suspension in 
1878 and since that time has been engaged in a mining, real 
estate and insurance business.  He now has charge of the 
gold properties owned by Charles D. McLure, one of the 
Granite Magnates, the mines being situated at Henderson 
Gulch, twenty miles west of Phillipsburg.  He also has 
charge of the Hidden Treasure group of mines, the 
property of the same gentleman, twenty-nine miles southwest 
of Phillips.  These properties are gold bearing and 
very extensive.  Mr. Brown himself owns a number of 
mining claims and is also an owner of extensive real 
estate at Phillipsburg and elsewhere. 

Mr. Brown was married in 1874 to Miss Anna E. Lentz, a native of 
Germany and they have five children: Edward, Annie, Tini, 
Minnie and James.

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