Let Us Get Acquainted
By Kris DayVincent

While the Browne family has owned Browne Lumber since 1947, the business has been in existence since 1920, originally started by Captain Herbert H. Davis of Lopez Island. Davis married Mary Crook of English Camp in 1897 and ran ships for Roche Harbor Lime Company. Tired of life at sea, he opened a lumber store to the north of where Downriggers is now and named it H.H. Davis Lumber.
H.H. Davis was active in the community. He was frequently written up in the “Friday Harbor in a Nutshell” section of the paper and served as mayor of Friday Harbor in the early twenties. He was known for his “Hi Gill style” and his corncob pipe. He died in 1929 from a stroke.
Others had the business later. Both V. W. Talbott and Frank Mullis owned it in the 30’s and 40’s but they retained the name Davis Lumber. In 1945, two brothers, Bob and Joe Brown bought the business. They only owned it for a year but they made one important change, they changed the name to Brown Lumber.
In January of 1947, Jim and Inez Browne purchased the business and changed the name to Browne’s Building Supply. The two of them worked together, side by side, and the business thrived. The Browne’s attitude was apparent in their first ad, which stated, “let us get acquainted.” They quickly became part of the community. Jim Browne served as the mayor in the sixties and both he and Inez were involved in many community activities. They were really loved for their warm spirit. On many occasions they helped a potential carpenter get a start by giving them a tool belt or a skill saw on credit.
The Browne’s moved their business up Spring Street into the old Dairymen’s Association building in 1965. In 2002, having outgrown that location, they built a 16, 000 square foot building on Mullis street in 2002 and renamed their business “Browne’s Home Center.” Today Rob and Terry Browne still operate the family business with the same ideals as their parents.
Come see the Browne Lumber exhibit. It will be up at the San Juan Island Library through the month of September. (Also give me a call if you know what “Hi Gill” means!)