On Mon, 7 Feb 2000 Jennifer Braswell wrote: Hello, Jonesies! Several community histories from this county have been shared with us by some very helpful people, folks. But, we need to hear about a very special place in this area...its history and current status... Are there any resident listers who are willing to share what they know about BROWN'S CROSSING? ************ Jennifer and GAJONES-L, Today you can drive by Brown's Crossing and never realize it was once a thriving community. My grandfather, Tom Finney, worked at the cotton gin at Brown's Crossing when my mother was a child so I grew up hearing stories about the people and places of Brown's Crossing. Fortunately, the Brown's Crossing Craftman's fair, the third weekend of October, brings it alive again with as many as 10,000 visitors to the fair. This is a delightful craft show in a beautiful area. A few of the old buildings still remain. This was taken from The Brown's Crossing Cookbook, copyright 1985, written by Carol and Carole S. Sirmans. Mr. Carol Sirmons was the County Agent for Baldwin county for many years. He and his wife, Carole, started the Brown's County Craftmans' Fair in 1970. When I called the Sirman's to request permission to send this to the list, they said they have another little book called "A View >From Brown's Crossing" that they are going to mail to me. If someone on the list has that book, they may be able to give you more information about the history of Brown's Crossing. "Brown's Crossing Welcome to Brown's Crossing our 140 year-plus community! Brown's Crossing was once a thriving bustlin' town - sporting a depot, several stores, cotton gin, oil mill and blacksmith shop. We are told that there were six or seven passenger trains per day, plus "umpteen freighters". People traveled and shipped goods via train, all the way from Camak to Macon on the Georgia Railroad line. Browns began when David Pinkney Brown moved to this area in 1845 from Jones County. He had married Lucetta Hutchings in 1836 and they had 10 children. One son, Charles Edward (born 11-26-1850; d. 11-18-1903) married Mollie I. Bass in 1878, lived in the front part of what is now the Sirmans home. James Chandler built on many rooms when he lived there. In 1909 Mr. James Chandler began the first and only cotton gin in Baldwin County at Browns. It operated until 1956. The oldest store was Brown's Mercantile Company, owned by Hal Brown, another son of David Pinkney Brown. It was probably built around 1846 or 1847 and closed in 1898, when the family moved into Milledgeville ond opened D.W. Brown's Hardware Store. .... Oscar Brown, brother of David P. Brown, owned a smaller store, located somewhere between the seed house and Hal Brown's store. James Chandler's General Merchandise Store was the largest store hiring four to five clerks. At one time the post office was in the stores - being moved there from the depot." Judy Polk Shelton [email protected]