Biography of George Harry Brown - Mercer Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 544-545 GEORGE HARRY BROWN is one of the representative young business men of the City of Princeton, Mercer County, where he is manager of the Mercer Motor Company, agents for the Ford automobiles and Fordson tractors, besides which he is an interested principal in the Farmers Supply Company. Mr. Brown was born at Wilmington, North Carolina, January 4, 1887, and is a son of William and Theresa Caro- line (Penny) Brown. William Brown, a skilled machinist, is now employed at his trade in the shipyards at Newport News, Virginia, and is sixty years of age at the time of this writing, in the winter of 1921-2. Of the two sons the sub- ject of this sketch is the younger, and the elder, William M., is a slip foreman for the Norfolk & Western Railroad at Williamson, West Virginia. George Harry Brown has stated that he gained his early education "wherever he could find it," and his mental horizon indicates that he fully improved such opportunities as came to him. At the age of eighteen years he began an apprenticeship as a machinist in the shipyards at Newport News, Virginia, and during his apprenticeship of four years he received 50 cents a day in wages. After work hours at the shipyards he sold newspapers on the streets, and at night worked as usher in theaters, besides acting as scene shifter, acting minor parts as a supernumerary, besides sell- ing candy to .the patrons of the house. He so applied him- self as to become a skilled machinist, and in 1909 he was in the United States transport service along the Atlantic Coast, he having been on the vessel which brought home the bodies of American soldiers killed in the Spanish- American war in Cuba. In 1910 Mr. Brown came to Prince- ton, West Virginia, as machinist in the employ of the Vir- ginian Railroad Company, and he continued his service in the local shops of this road until 1919. His early training as a newsboy prompted him here to open the Brown News Stand, which he opened in 1911 and which became one of the popular establishments and social resorts of the city. He conducted it until 1919. In 1920 Mr. Brown became as- sociated with T. M. Fry and others in establishing the Farmers Supply Company, which has developed a substan- tial and prosperous business, and later he became one of the principals in the organization of the Mercer Motor Company, which has the agency for the ever popular and versatile Ford automobiles. The plant of the company is of the best modern equipment, with well ordered repair shop and with a full line of supplies and accessories. In June, 1918, Mr. Brown entered the World war service of the nation as first lieutenant with the Sixty-third Engi- neers. Without preliminary training he was sent to France, where he was assigned to duty at Cote d'Or. He remained in France until the signing of the armistice brought the war to a close, and had the distinction of returning home on the George Washington when that vessel brought Presi- dent Wilson and other members of the peace conference back to the United States. He was baggage officer on the transport which bore his command to France and battalion baggage officer and troop baggage officer in France. He was serving in this latter capacity on the return voyage, and this brought him into personal contact with many cele- brated men who returned on the George Washington, the official vessel of the President of the United States. Mr. Brown is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, in- cluding the Commandery of Knights Templars at Bluefield and the Temple of the Mystic Shrine in the City of Charles- ton, and he is a member also of the Knights of Pythias and of the Business Men's Club of Princeton. In 1915 Mr. Brown wedded Miss Dora Palmer, daughter of O. D. Palmer, who is the owner of a large cotton planta- tion at Gulf, North Carolina. Mrs. Brown is an earnest communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and is a popular factor in the social activities of Princeton. Submitted by Valerie Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************