Harry Franklin Brownell Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1174-1177 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				HARRY FRANKLIN BROWNELL. 

	The automobile industry has attracted to it many men of marked 
enterprise, of strong purpose and of capability, who have found either 
in the manufacture or sale of motor cars and accessories a profitable 
field of business. This number includes Harry Franklin Brownell, now 
president of the H. F. Brownell Company, conducting a wholesale 
accessory business. 

	He was born at Black River Falls, Wisconsin, November 22, 1882, a 
son of Edwin and Henrietta (Randall) Brownell. His education was 
acquired largely at Merrill, Wisconsin. He was graduated from the high 
school there with the class of 1902 and afterward spent two years in 
Chicago. The succeeding two years were passed in teaching school in the 
Badger state and in 1906 he arrived in South Dakota, settling at Sioux 
Falls, where he became agent for the Burroughs Adding Machine Company 
of Detroit, Michigan. In 1909 he entered upon his present relations 
with the Sioux Falls Auto & Supply Company, now known as the H. F. 
Brownell Company. In this connection the Sioux Falls Daily Press said: 

	"In 1910 H. F. Brownell and Knapp Brown purchased the motor car 
business of Clyde Gates, who had built it up to a point where it was 
known as one of the best in the state. Brown and Brownell are both 
young men and are very well known and highly respected in Sioux Falls. 
They added several additional makes of cars to their line and their 
highly desire able chess of stock, their clean cut, reputable sales 
methods and the confidence inspiring personality of the two men have 
contributed to the successful growth of the company, Mr. Brown devotes 
his entire attention to the active superintendency of the retail sales, 
repair and machine department and the garage business. Mr. Brownell 
assumes the management of the wholesale supply department. 

	"Mr. Brownell's department is the one that has made the company 
known so well throughout so wide a territory. Brown and Brownell 
quickly realized the importance of Sioux Falls as a distributing point 
and immediately prepared to take advantage of it for a wholesale branch 
of the business. In a country like South Dakota where there are so many 
motor cars in use and where the great majority of people are 
financially able to own and use a car, the possibilities of a wholesale 
automobile accessory and supply business are enormous. Brown and 
Brownell have built their wholesale interests up to the point where all 
of South Dakota and adjoining territory in Minnesota and Iowa are 
covered. Their success has been phenomenal and, although the firm is 
now but a year old, extensive additions to the garage equipment and 
wholesale warerooms are contemplated for next season and with the 
completion of the project, the Sioux Falls Auto & Supply Company will 
easily rank as one of the greatest wholesale motor car supply companies 
in this northwestern territory. The advantages to the dealers in small 
towns in having a source of supply so near at hand is very obvious and 
there is nothing to prevent a continuation of the company's present 
record of growth. 

	"In the motor car sales department, over which Mr. Brown 
presides, there are equally important extensions to be made. Mr. Brown 
is an experienced and very thorough automobile man and it is his belief 
that the territory fully warrants the contemplated improvements, He has 
already doubled the business of the old company and he expects to have 
more room in the garage to more thoroughly care for the big increase in 
business he books for next season. Brown and Brownell state that when 
their plans are realized there will be no garage facilities in the 
state so complete. The repair and machine shops will be increased both 
as to room and as to equipment. Such a healthy growth as this company 
has enjoyed would not have been possible had not the territory been so 
rich in opportunity, nor would Sioux Falls have had such a company but 
for enterprising men such as Brown and Brownell." 

	In January, 1915, The H. F. Brownell Company, having outgrown 
their smaller quarters, moved into the splendid new building they now 
occupy, on West Ninth street. This is one of the finest and most 
complete buildings for automobile accessories in the northwest and 
their distribution of merchandise now covers portions of eight states. 

	On the 1st of November, 1911, in the city where they still 
reside, Harry F. Brownell and Miss Elizabeth Jewett Woodford, a niece 
of Charles A. Jewett, were united in marriage. They attend the 
Episcopal church and Mr. Brownell is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity, in which he has attained the Scottish Rite and Mystic 
Shrine degrees. His political endorsement is given the republican party 
and his social activities are largely with the Country Club, the 
Dacotah Club and similar organizations. He has gained many friends 
during his residence here through his business connections, through his 
social relations and by reason of the true worth of his character.