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Browne, J.J.

Last Name: Browne
First Name: J.J.
Dates:
*1843 (Date of Birth)
*1912 (Date of Death)
Biography/History: Hailing from Indiana, attorney J.J. Browne made his mark first in Oswego [Osage?] Kansas, before practicing law in Portland, Oregon. In 1878, he moved to Spokane and filed a homestead claim adjacent to James Glover's original townsite, naming the area Browne's Additiion. Soon after his arrival, he wrote to his wife, Anna Stratton Browne, “the falls are beautiful and picturesque beyond description, yea they are grand, so sublime in fact that neigher pen nor pencil can adequately describe them.” One of seven families living in Spokan Falls in 1878, Browne opened a law office, but soon turned his attention to real estate and banking. He worked with several educational institutions, and with partner Anthony M. Cannon, opened the Auditorium Theater at the corner of Main and Post streets after the 1889 fire. In 1890, Browne purchased the Spokane Chronicle newspaper from William Knight and sold it five years later to William Cowles. The Brownes raised a large family on West First in Browne’s Addition. Later, they built a country home overlooking Moran Prairie, at the foot of the mountain that now bears their name. Here they hosted a magnificent 1909 wedding for daughter Hazel, using special trains from the city to deliver the guests. Anna continued to manage her husband’s business, mostly banking and investments, after his death. Many records remain from the Browne family. John and Anna carried on extensive correspondence with each other. Anna’s mother (Anna Stratton) lived with them, and she kept daily diaries.
Related Objects:
NN99.471 (Window, Leaded, Auditorium Theater Stained Glass Window, 1890)