J.J.'s Room
Narrated by Volunteer Museum Tour Guide Jody Pritzl
JAMES JOSEPH BROWN
J.J.'s bedroom c. 1910. Courtesy Stephan Hart Library, History Colorado
In 1899, J.J. consolidated all of his mining interests under the Jefferson Mining and Investment Company, with mines in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and real estate in Salt Lake City. J.J. never gave up on making another big find in Leadville.
In 1902 he became principal partner in a group called the Evans Gulch Group that began acquiring claims northwest of Leadville. These claims would never amount to much but, like the Ibex Mining CO. remained in the Brown family well after J.J., Margaret’s, and even son Larry’s death.
James Joseph Brown. Courtesy Denver Public Library.
By himself, J.J. traveled extensively as well, including as far as Cuba and Mexico, for his mining interests. Like Margret, he also had another home, his in Tucson, Arizona. To son Larry, J.J. said in a letter that,
“It matters little as to your occupation just so you like it, - and have determined to made of it a grand success. “ - J.J. Brown in a letter to his son, Larry Brown.
J.J.’s story has such joy and sadness. When I look at his actual daybed, the one in the corner that was used for resting after the sleeping bed was made up, I picture his children Helen and Larry perhaps sitting on the daybed while their father lay in the large bed recovering from a stroke when he was forty-two years old. J.J. never truly recovered, saying his thinking was somewhat slowed forever.
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He passed away in 1922 of a heart attack while staying with his daughter Helen in New York. The Browns never divorced and are buried together at Holy Road Cemetery on Long Island. On news of his death, Margaret told a reporter,