Spokane's first Lawyer: J. J. Browne

By Dale Raugust

John J. Browne, known as J.J. to his friends, was born in Ohio on April 28, 1843, a third generation American from Irish stock on his father’s side and German on his mother’s. He attended Wabash College in Crawfordville and then took up the profession of teaching high school in Columbia City, Indiana. After teaching for a few years Mr. Brown decided to attend law school at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor graduating in 1868. He then set up a law practice in Columbia City and then for 4 years in Kansas before the call of the west brought him to Portland Oregon. He married in Portland in 1874 but suffered from bronchial affections in the moist climate and so sought a dryer climate which brought him and his new wife to Spokane Falls in 1878. Mrs. Browne described her reaction to the little town of Spokane Falls which at that time had 7 families and 54 residents: “as we swung up to the platform beside the little wooden store building on the southwest corner of Howard and Front (now Spokane Falls Boulevard) my heart went down…I felt I was coming into a desolate place.” The Browne family, which included 11 month old Guy, had no place to live so arrangements were made with the family of Frederick Post, the miller, (for whom Post street and Post Falls were named) to live in his large house on the North side of the river. There the family stayed until the spring of 1879. Mrs. Browne described her host as a gentleman of grace and generosity always willing to do what he could to help his neighbor.
On the boat ride up the Columbia from Portland Mr. Browne met A. M. Cannon who was heading to Spangle. Browne talked him into coming to Spokane Falls. Browne and Cannon became partners and purchased for $5,000 a half interest in James Glover’s 120 acres located in what would become the heart of Spokane. Glover originally had 160 acres but sold 40 areas to Post on the condition that Post would open a flour mill on the river. Later Post sold his downtown holdings, a lot at a time, and moved his mill to what would become Post Falls. Mr. Cannon also purchased Mr. Glover’s store at Howard and Front. Mr. Brown purchased another quarter section south of the river and west of the downtown area which he later developed as Browne’s Addition while Cannon purchased land further south which would become Cannon’s Addition and Canon Park. It should be noted that these “purchases” were actually quarter section homesteads filed with the federal government which of course ignored the rights of the native population. At that time the Spokane native population coexisted with the white population. Native villages existed at what is now called Peaceful Valley and also near the falls. Mrs. Browne wrote of the native horse races which would start at her house and end near the downtown area.
In the spring of 1879, Browne built his first house on his land at the present day address of 1717 West Pacific. The house was very basic, built of clap boards with no windows, only openings in the walls that he put boards over when it rained. The floor was originally dirt but before the first winter clap boards were also placed on the floor. Over the years he added to his house, building a new addition with the arrival of each child, while selling lots to the new arrivals and the founding fathers. Eventually his addition became the home of the most prominent and wealthiest Spokane residents. Mr. Brown became rich not only with land speculation but also in a number of other businesses. He associated with A. J. Ross in the construction of the first railway, and together they founded the first newspaper, the Spokane Chronicle. With Cannon he built the Auditorium, at the time the finest theater in the west. He had an interest in the Spokane Mill Company and the Spokane Cracker Company. All of his businesses were successful and eventually he sold them for a substantial profit except the Browne National Bank founded in 1888, which failed in 1893 during the panic which swept the country. Browne personally assumed the obligations of the bank and not a creditor lost money. Browne also purchased more land and at the time of his death on March 25, 1912, was the largest land tax payer in Spokane County. Mr. Browne was also involved in civic and educational work, perhaps as a result of his early experiences as a teacher. He served on the school board and was influential within local politics. While he is regarded as Spokane’s first attorney he did not practice law for more than about 7 years, giving up the profession in 1885 to focus on his business ventures.
Primary sources for this biography include Anne Browne’s interview with the Spokane Daily Chronicle given in 1914. Secondary sources include several histories written of early Spokane published between 1900 and 1912.