Archives West Finding Aid

Loyal Parson "L.P." Brown was born on 26 September 1829 in Stratford, New Hampshire. He traveled first to California, becoming a Forty-Niner at age 16 where he both had success as a miner and as a store owner. Brown then traveled back to the East Coast for one year before settling in the Umpqua Valley of Oregon. He brought his family to Idaho following the discovery of gold near Florence. The family reached Mose Milner, on the edge of the Camas Prairie and Brown along with a partner purchased what would become Mount Idaho. Brown would buy out his partner within three years regarding the hotel they had created. The building would serve as the post office, Brown as postmaster. He would also a use the building for a modest store. Brown would own and lease lots in Mount Idaho, own another store in Elk City, and a substantial ranch which would be used for cattle and exporting horses to Montana. Brown represented Nez Perce County on the 1874-1875 Territorial Council having previously held that office in 1866-1867. During the later service, he worked on a bill to redraw county boundaries, resulting in Mount Idaho becoming the county seat for Idaho County. During the 1877 War, Brown provided dispatches which served as first warning of the outbreak to the Army units at Fort Lapwai. He also supplied materials and supervised construction of the stockade built north of mount Idaho. He turned his hotel over to be used as a hospital for casualties from the battle of White Bird Canyon. Following the War he continued to expand, he purchased much of Cottonwood and built a steam sawmill outside of Mount Idaho. His ranch expanded to include sheep in addition to cattle and horses, helping to see him elected as the first president of the Idaho County Stock Growers' Association in 1885. Additionally, he served as the first president of the Idaho County Pioneer Association in 1887. Brown married Sarah T. Crusen in 1854 and they had 3 children. He died 9 April 1896 in Mount Idaho, Idaho which is where he is buried.