How Brownell Island Got It`s Groove

How Brownell Island Got its Groove
by David Dales
April 2017
How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
We arrived in Restoule to Brownell Island in 2005. I guess that makes us kind of “tweeners” in a
cottage sense. We’re hardly newbies on the lake at this point, but at the same time we are
nowhere close to the many folks whose families have been here for generations. They seem to
know a lot about their histories and have a good sense of life here in the early days.
For us, the island has passed through a number of hands and very little was known of the first
inhabitants.
We became curious about our island the more we understood our dwellings. The buildings
aren’t a re-enactment of an earlier time. They are literally from an earlier time. Entering them
takes you back to the early 1900’s. The darkened narrow tongue and groove pine walls tell their
tales of all the meals cooked over wood stoves, various ceilings marked by the smoke of
lanterns lit by oil, and the old stone fireplace that is as well used as it is inefficient. It was easy
to develop an affinity with the original owners – the Brownells, imagining them in the exact
spaces we now occupied probably expounding on the matters of the day just as we do today
(although maybe minus the beer).
Taken as a whole, the buildings were an elegant statement of genteel frontier living in say 1910.
Today they are a relic of an earlier time. Well maintained in some decades, less so in others.
Our island’s first resident, Dr. William G. Brownell, first arrived on our lake in the 1890’s. Drawn
by the incredible sport fishing of the day. His nephew’s wife, Mina Brownell finally sold the
island in 1951 and the last of the Brownells departed. Today little is known of them. But I guess
that is not a surprise. They have been gone for over 60 years.
We decided to see what we could find out about them.
From our neighbours on Angell’s Point and Miller’s Island we learned that Brownell was a
Doctor from Rochester New York as were Angell and Miller. We understand Dr Angell arrived
first in the early 1890’s but exactly when Brownell arrived we don’t know. No doubt they all
knew each other in Rochester.
The Brownells were not like Restoule’s first settlers as described by June Hampel, in her
excellent book “Reflections of Restoule”. Those settlers carved a rough demanding life out of
rock and woods. The Brownells came to experience the life but then to return to the civility of
Rochester Life. They would have been quite different.
It was in February 1898 that Dr. Brownell’s wife, Jane McKay Brownell, registered the island in
her name. Land records were of course hand written in those days. Today they can be viewed
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
on microfilm and copied. It is close to impossible to make out every word in the record. The
land was granted by the Crown and I have not been able to determine if any money changed
hands for the purchase.
I am speculating that the land was registered in her name simply because she would have had
the time to devote to this matter while he had a busy professional schedule.
Dr Brownell was born on June 6th 1854 in Caledonia New York.
Highly educated, he long practised as a Doctor of Homeopathy in Rochester after 1879. It was
accepted medicine in that day and age.
He appears to have been an ambitious man and one who played a role in the elite of Rochester
in the 1890’s.
Searching on-line, we found this rather positive article written in the prose of the day:
From Rochester and the Post Express; A history of the City of Rochester from the earliest times;
the pioneers and their predecessors, frontier life in the Genesee country, biographical sketches;
with a record of the Post Express compiled by John Devoy (1895) page 117:
‘WILLIAM G. BROWNELL, M. D.
To be elected president of a body wielding such power, and
entrusted with the responsibility resting in the Board of Education of
Rochester, implies that the successful candidate possesses
qualifications for moulding men to his views that entitle him to the
reputation of a leader. William G. Brownell, M. D., incumbent of the
chairmanship of the Board of Education, was born at Caledonia,
New York, June 6, 1854. His father was of English and his mother of
Scottish descent. His secular education was obtained at Fairfield
seminary, Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York. He studied medicine
in the New York Homeopathic Medical College and began the
practice of medicine at Chicopee, Massachusetts, in 1879. In July,
1885, he came to Rochester and resumed practice. He is a
Republican in politics and has had uninterrupted success as a
candidate of that party, having been twice elected as school
commissioner; first in 1892, and again in 1894. He was elected by the board president of that body in
1893 and again in 1894. Dr. Brownell was married in 1884 to Jennie McKay of Caledonia. He is a member
of the Masonic fraternity.’
He was listed in the Rochester “Blue Book” a who’s who of that city in both 1904 and 1908. (I’m
not sure if you have to pay to be listed in such books but none the less, there he was.)
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
It appears that he had 2 marriages. I have not found what became of his first wife but she
appears to have passed from the scene fairly quickly. It’s probably unfair, but one can speculate
on death in either child birth or by disease. I can’t imagine divorce would have happened in
those days.
At any rate, by 1884 Jane McKay was his wife and the apple of his eye and she remained with
him the rest of his days. (She was from a long time New York family with an Uncle apparently
famous in the War of 1812....depending on your point of view of course).
We can find no evidence that William and Jane had any children. It appears that they had a
close relationship with their nephews Leonard, Warner and Lester C. Brownell and niece Jane
Brownell. Warner next owned the island.
Dr Brownell and wife Jane (Jennie)
Brownells and friend fishing 1905
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
Dinner at the Brownell’s 1905
Looks like they enjoyed life in Restoule much the way we do today. They brought a maid with
them who is pictured in the doorway above. I can’t even imagine what she would have thought
of a family vacationing in Northern Ontario in these early days.
At some point in this era, niece Jane Brownell (to my knowledge she was a single woman)
purchased a cottage property on Memesagamesing Lake which could be accessed in those days
from Restoule Lake via a portage through Lennon Lake. (If you ever bump into me, please don’t
ask me to spell her lake).
A few years ago we had the good fortune to meet the current owners of Jane’s summer
cottage, Carl and Karen Lindsay who have their own long history of that property. They
provided pictures of the Brownells and helped fill in some of the history.
At Lennon Lake ...Dr Brownell on right
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
Mrs Brownell's Bible - A Keepsake
Jane (Jennie) Mckay Brownell's Bible
With regard to the current buildings, we are setting a speculative date of 1910 for their
construction.
Ernie Geisel (a previous owner) reported finding newspapers of that date in the ceiling of the
Kitchen building (Cookery) during his time on the island. We thought that they could have
formed some kind of crude insulation for the day.
There are other reasons why I currently believe William G. Brownell would have built around
that time.
Firstly, he most likely was the one who had the buildings built. He appears to have been fairly
wealthy. He owned a fruit farm in addition to his medical practice and his wife (from her
obituary) appears to have been a charming lady who would have been most comfortable in a
well to do cottage.
He apparently retired in 1912. I can well imagine that he planned to spend summers in
Restoule, fishing and enjoying the lake. Building the building was all in anticipation of a long
active retirement.
When Jane McKay Brownell sold the island in 1920, she received $800.
That seems like a lot of dollars for that day and age for a vacant island. So most likely the value
was based on the new finished lodge. Finally, as reported in “Reflections of Restoule”, an
enormous forest fire erupted in Restoule in October 1908. Apparently in the area of Crooked
Lake and it burned for weeks or months. Villagers spent large amounts of time on their roofs
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
putting out flying embers. It is difficult to believe that the buildings on the island could have
survived that fire with no one present.
Sadly for Dr Brownell, he did not get to have those contented senior years.
He passed away on December 22, 1914. He may have been ill for awhile but this is just
speculation. The newspaper of the day would report on the activities of the locals: (kind of the
Facebook of it’s day)
‘Dr. and Mrs. W. G. Brownell returned Saturday from a month in the
Adirondacks. The Caledonia Era September 2, 1914’
It’s probable that he was not well enough to travel to Restoule in his final year.
His brief obituary didn’t seem to touch on much of his life:
‘Dr. William G. Brownell of Caledonia died yesterday in a Rochester
hospital, aged 60 years. He practiced his profession in Rochester from
1888 up to a few years ago, when he retired to a fruit farm near
Caledonia, later moving into the village. The Daily News (paper dated
December 23, 1914)’
Based on the various social news reports of the Brownells, it would appear that they were a
close knit family. Most likely from the beginning they vacationed in groups on the island. Hence
even when William and Jane owned the island many other Brownells would have visited and
vacationed.
Jane McKay Brownell continued to hold the island in her name until June 17th 1920. At that
time, ownership was transferred to her nephews Warner H. Brownell and Sylvester Brownell on
a 50/50 basis. We do not know how often she may have visited after the death of William.
She remained active in her Caledonia New York community sitting on at least one local Board
until she died in 1937. Her partial obituary follows:
‘MRS. W. G. BROWNELL
On Saturday morning, March 30, at the Mount Morris Sanatorium. Mrs. Jane McKay Brownell. 70.
entered into rest. In her passing the last member of her generation of the McKay family ceased to be. She
was a daughter of Mr. And Mrs. John McKay, a granddaughter of John McKay, who came here in 1800
from Scotland. The three McKay brothers who were among the pioneers of this town, John. Colonel
Robert a hero of 1812, and Mordecai, all of whom, with their families had much to do In establishing the
culture and best things of the community. Among them were many who attained to more than local
fame ' / Mrs. Brownell inherited much of that grace and charming personality so characteristic of the
McKays. Her early homes with four brothers and one sister were noted for its hospitality and good cheer.
It was a gathering place for relatives, who In those days came not to stay for a day or two but for weeks
and even months................’
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
Exceprted from the Caledonia Era or Advertiser- March 25th, 1937
(hmmm...that’s 5 days before she died...probably covered a several week
period)
Within several years, Warner bought out Sylvester, a lawyer, and he disappears from the
record.
Warner and his brother Lester C Brownell (also a lawyer who did all the family legal work)
remained active at the island for many years.
Warner managed the local Bean Harvester operations for 25 years but earlier in his life he
purchased a business and operated it for 10 years. A newspaper account of the purchase
follows:
‘NEGOTIATIONS ON FOR SALE OF LUMBER YARD.
©ne of Caledonia's Principal Businesses Has Practically
Changed Hands—W. H. Brownell Buys DeLancey
A. Cameron's Lumber and Coal Business.
For some time there have been rumors of the sale by DeLancey A. Cameron of his lumber and coal
business, and Saturday these rumors took definate shape in the report that Warner H. Brownell had
bought the lumber shed and coal trestle. Investigation of the rumors reveals the fact that negotiations
are now going on for the sale, the terms being practically agreed upon. If these negotiations are
favorably closed in time Mr. Brownell will take possession Jan. 1st and conduct a general lumber and
coal business. He will not run the planing mill. Mr. Brownell is a young business man of sagacity and
ability and will do well in that line. He has many friends and acquaintances in this locality who"will wish
him success.
Negotiations are also in progress and likely to result in the sale or lease of the planing mill to a young
Caledonia mechanic of ability, and its conduct along the lines on which it was run when a number of men
were employed and all kinds of jobbing and carpenter work done. If these young men, both provided
with plenty of financial backing, take hold of these two important businesses in Caledonia they will put
new life and energy into the conduct of them and add considerably to the volume of business here.’
The Caledonia Era December 28th, 1904
That’s right!...a young business man of sagacity!...I sure could have used some of that in my life.
Warner married Mina Huston who appeared to be a very genteel lady as was Jane McKay
Brownell. We still use Mina’s good dishes at the island on special occasions. Again it does not
appear that they had any children.
Life carried on for many years unchanged on the island until Warner passed away in 1943.
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
‘WARNER H. BROWNELL.
CALEDONIA- Warner H Brownell,
66, died- unexpectedly Friday in his home in Caledonia.He is survived by his .widow, Mina;one brother,
Lester C. of California; (me...probably California is a misprint for Caledonia) two sisters, Mrs. Howard
MacNaughton, Miss Jane Brownell of Orange, N. J.; several nieces. Mr. Brownell engaged in the lumber
and coal business for 10 years. He was manager of the Caledonia Bean Harvester works for 25 years and
for the past, six years was associated' with Brown Chevrolet Company of Caledonia. He also is a member
of the Eunice Lodge, F&AM, Caledonia.’
The Picket Line Post, Mount Morris NY...May 7 1943
A word should also be mentioned about Lester C. Brownell. He was the youngest of the three
nephews of William and a younger brother of Warner. At no time was he an owner of the island
but he certainly spent time on the island. He was a prominent Wills and Estate lawyer in the
Caledonia area. He had had a long career. It was Lester that seemed to undertake every legal
requirement for the family and was probably stuck doing a lot of “pro bono” work for all of
them. He also was the legal rep on virtually every family estate that was settled.
As late as 1942 he opened a new law office in Caledonia.
I found newspaper notices, spanning decades, regarding estates that he was settling. He always
signed the notices as Lester C. Brownell.
That is relevant because when we first moved to the island in 2005, we found an old “fish
club”, really an old pine limb about 18 inches long, strung with a leather strap and bearing the
carved initials “LCB”. It was just somewhat lost in the boat house but is a treasured relic
reminding us of this earlier time.
Sadly for the Brownells, their time on the island was running out.
Mina Brownell and probably Lester C. Continued to use the island after Warner’s death. But
clearly with no direct descendants, there was no one stepping up to take over the lodge. No
doubt Lester was getting too old to take it on and evidently the next generation had no interest.
In October 1951, Mina sold the island to three fishing buddies from Buffalo unrelated to the
Brownells. The price appears to have been $1,000. The value of the island had remained
virtually unchanged since 1920.
The manner in which the island was used during the Brownell era is of some interest. Nick
Angell, who has been visiting Angell’s Point since the late 1930’s has no recollection of ever
seeing a Brownell on the island. Both the folks at Angell’s Point and Millers Island have
traditionally stayed for a month at a time and clearly the Brownells did not. Nick recalls
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
paddling over to Brownell Island to obtain a block of ice regularly from the ice house there, but
the island was always unoccupied. The Brownells must have had a caretaker to watch over the
place and manage the ice supply in their absence.
I found three newspaper references to Brownell visits to Restoule and most likely there are
many more. My conclusion was that in later years visits were certainly made but they were at
random times in the summer and for quite short durations. Most likely the paths o the
Brownells and the other islanders didn’t cross.
I have included three references:
‘Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Brownell re-turned Tuesday evening from a stay at Lake Restoule, Canada,’
Caledonia Advertiser, September 6, 1928
‘Mr. and Mrs. W. ,H, Brownell, Mr and Mrs. Hampton M Brown, Miss Margaret Matteson, Earl Stone and
Miss Christina Hotchklss went to the Brownell camp in Canada last Friday where they are remaining for
the week.’
Caledonia Advertiser, June 6, 1936
‘Mr. and Mrs. H. Leon Washburn, Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Armstrong, Mrs. Warner Brownell and Miss
Margaret Mattison spent last week in the North Bay region, Canada’
Caledonia Advertiser June 3, 1948
In closing, I am left to wonder who the last Brownell was to set foot on the island. I wonder if it
was a sad moment to realize that this 50 year era was coming to an end. I wonder if they
reflected on how much pleasure and relaxation generations of Brownells had enjoyed and how
much they had changed this small dot of land forever. For me it would have been a sad
moment. But then on the other hand maybe the place had turned into a burden. The
responsibility of persons who no longer had the youth and energy to endure. Of course we’ll
never know.
Karen and Carl Lindsay kindly supplied us with pictures taken by the Brownell family in their
travels to Restoule. Rugged to be sure, but also a sign of how difficult life in this area was in the
early days.
The pictures follow:
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
Trout Creek Hotel
Stage route to Restoule
Stage Route…Resting the Horses
Restoule 1905
Unpacking at the Landing
….
And loading up for
Brownell Island
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How Brownell Island Got It’s Groove
Restoule Lumber Mill
Canoe Transported to Lake Restoule
Canoe to Lake Restoule
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