Brown Spring

The Brown Spring Ice Skate Company

Martin E. Nass

The next time you visit the Freeman Journal office think back to a time 131 years ago when a young man came to Webster City to start a new wagon making business. At the age of 14, Frank E. Brown had apprenticed to learn the wagon and buggy trade. After four years in the trade, during the Civil War, he enlisted in the Union cause serving in the 194^th New York Volunteers, Co. H. After the war he was married to Sarah Toogood. They came to Webster City in 1870, and he constructed a large building at 718-720 Second Street in 1872. This is the exact location of the Freeman Journal today.

This business was very successful. Brown was listed in the city directory of 1886 as a blacksmith and wagon maker. In 1889 he moved his wagon business to Des Moines. After two or three years, the business was sold, and he moved to Anamosa to enter the druggist business with his son, William E. After five years he and his son sold out the drug business and moved back to Webster City. In 1896 he invented Brown's Automatic Speeder and Bike Cart, a special light-weight racing vehicle, which became celebrated with horse racing fans in this country, Canada, Scotland, and England. This vehicle was patented on May 23, 1896, and was manufactured here in Webster City. An early day advertisement is pictured with this article. During this time he lived with his wife and sons, William and Bernice, at 319 Prospect Street.

For a time Frank Brown lived in Chicago where he invented a spring ice skate, which was the most superior ice skate on the market. A pair of these skates is pictured in this article. He wanted to return to Webster City, but he needed money to buy equipment. He approached the Commercial League to subscribe papers for shares in the Brown Ice Skate Company. The offer of shares was made in the May 5, 1903, edition of the Freeman Journal. The public was offered $12,500 in stock, and Brown was to put up $37,500 of his own money. He planned to manufacture the skates in the wagon business building. When the sale of stock faltered, Brown told the public that he had an offer from Des Moines for his skate factory and left for Des Moines. Upon his return, the remaining stock had been sold and the factory stayed in town.

In June, 1903, the board of directors was organized for the Brown Ice Spring Skate Company. They included F. E. Brown, President; W. J. Zitterell, Vice-President; William E. Brown, Secretary; and F. A. Edwards, Treasurer. Other board members were: W. C. Burleson, Frank E. Willson, E. H. Martin, all of Webster City, and W. C. Halsey of Eagle Grove.

According to the June 30, 1903, edition of the Freeman, Brown announced the arrival of some of the equipment. It stated that "the building to be occupied by this company for its temporary home is the brick building owned by Mr. Brown on Second Street, which is now occupied by the Holt Blacksmith Shop. "

The article continues, "There arose a question between Mr. Holt and the company as to the right of possession. Mr. Holt held a lease on the building. Mr. Brown, however, claimed that the lease was not holden owing to the fact that Mr. Holt had been delinquent in the matter of paying the rent." Both agreed to the decision of an arbitration board which allowed Brown to reclaim the building but pay Holt $100 for possession. The ice skate factory went into full production. The business was very successful and employed an average of 20 men.

At this time the F. E. Brown family lived at 902 First Street. The son, William E., lived above the factory at 718 1/2 Second Street. Son Bernice R. worked in the skate factory, but William opened and operated the Buster Brown Drug Store at the southeast corner of Des Moines and Second Streets. This was most recently known as the Wayne Legore Drug Store. The building was torn down in 2001.

A news article in the Webster City Daily News announced in 1904 that F. E. Brown and sons,Will and Bernie, expect to maintain an ice skating rink at the southeast corner of Des Moines and Division Streets. This site is now the location of the Church of Christ. Workmen erected a wooden board fence 8 feet tall around the rink.

It is difficult to determine when the company ceased to exist. It was not listed in the city directory for 1926, but it had been included all years from 1903 to 1926. Mr. Brown died in his home on September 9, 1929. His wife, Sarah, had died the previous year. Both are buried in Graceland Cemetery. Mr. Brown had been a loyal member of the Winfield Scott Post, No. 66, G. A. R. and a member of the Elks Lodge of Webster City.