The father of the Brown brothers, Edward Dexter Brown (1824-1898), came to Wisconsin in 1857, a native of Smithfield, Oneida County, New York. He settled on a 320 acre farm at Hull, in Portage County, and early acquired timber holdings on the Plover River. He operated a mill on that river, east of Stevens Point, and became a leading citizen of the Stevens Point area.
Brown's two older sons, Anderson W. (1849-1923) and Webster E. (1851-?)
for a time operated the family farm, where they were successful in growing hops. After college they formed a partnership and set up a planing mill on the south side of Stevens Point. In 1874 Anderson W. made a cruising trip through the woods near the headwaters of the Wisconsin River, and enthusiastically reported on the future of the Pelican Rapids area as a source of timber and a milling site. Two Brown sons, their father, and an uncle, T. W. Anderson, each purchased from the federal and state governments one fourth interest in large timber acreages at the site of Pelican Rapids, intending to establish a new city there.
In the late 1870's these men deeded one half of their holdings to the Milwaukee, Lake Shore, and Western Railroad (now the Chicago and North Western) provided the railroad would build a line to their prospective settlement. The road was completed in 1882 and the city was platted. The place was named after F. W. Rhinelander, president of the railroad. By 1882 three Brown brothers, Anderson W., Webster E., and Edward O. had located at the site, where they established a mill, built the first boarding house, and donated the lot for
the first church. The activities of the Brown brothers soon drew many settlers to Rhinelander from Stevens Point and by 1885 the population of Rhinelander was 1500. In 1887, through the efforts of the brothers and further donations of land rights, the Soo line also completed a railroad to Rhinelander.
In 1890 the business of the Brown brothers was incorporated as Brown Brothers Lumber Company. The company operated a saw mill and planing mill until 1917, when the saw mill was sold due to exhaustion of timber. Anderson W. had charge of camps and timber buying, and Webster E. had charge of mill operations and marketing. West coast representative for the company was Ralph D., son of Webster. The Browns bought and sold timber lands in the West as well as in Wisconsin, especially in the Seattle area. With Anderson W. as president, the Pelican Boom Company was organized to sort and deliver logs to the mill.
The Brown brothers became closely identified with the progress of Rhinelander. Anderson W. served on the county board and operated a model farm in the county. Webster E. became the first mayor of Rhinelander and served three terms as Congressman from the Ninth District. Edward O. was educated at West Point, but resigned his commission to enter the lumber business with his brothers and to serve as president of the Merchants' State Bank, an institution which grew out of the private banking firm of E.D. Brown and Sons. In 1923 he succeeded his brother, Anderson W., as president of the Rhinelander Paper Company. In 1910 Walter D. Brown (1869-?), youngest of the brothers, joined the firm and became general manager of the Brown Brothers Lumber Company. On the death of Edward 0. Brown he served as president of the company until the firm was dissolved in 1944.
By 1903 the Brown brothers recognized the end of the great timber-cutting era, and along with others formed the Rhinelander Paper Company. Anderson Brown became president. As the Brown Brothers Lumber Company became less important the new paper industry expanded. It first produced newsprint, catalog, and manila papers, and later added wrapping papers, specialized papers, and tissue.
