Brownville: One of several Desoto communities
By Howard Melton
Staff Writer
(Newspaper unknown, probably the Arcadian )

Brownville was first called Haymanville for William Hayman, who settled it before the Civil War.

Every community of Desoto County is known more by the people who lived there than any other reason. While it is impossible to give every family name who played important parts in the history of a community, at least some names must be named to give credence to its history.

Brownville was a self-contained community with all the ingredients necessary for self-sufficiency. It had a post office, general store, saw mill, orange groves, cattle, service station, crop farms and phosphate mining. Also other things like school and church. The community was a close knit unit with each person feeling a part of it and being proud of it. The railroad passed through Brownville.

Following are some of the families who played a part in the affairs of Brownville: Hollingsworth, Coker, Douglass, Hampton, Albritton, Langford, Waldron, Williams, Pearce, Cleveland, Mercer, Whidden, Farwell and Jones.

Robert Lee Thompson, in his book Peace River Valley, wrote the following about Brownville Florida: "When the CH&N Railroad was contemplating building their railroad to Boca Grande, they specified Brownville as the northern terminal in the charter. That was later changed to Pierce. The town of Brownville also bid on having the county seat there, when Desoto County was authorized by the State Legislature. Despite these two set backs for growth, the citrus and farming industries came on strongly in the area and now there are several good groves in the area."

"J. F. Saxon was a merchant in Brownville in 1912. Jiles Durrance was prominent in the citrus and farming industries. The Swindall family were early settlers there. Brownville was a thriving town in 1887, when Desoto County was authorized. The Post Office was probably established soon afterward."

"The Rowland Williams family settled at Brownville in late 1860s. James W. Mathis, a son-in-law of the Rowland family served in the Confederate Army. He returned after the war and married his former wife's sister, Sara Jane Williams. They had 14 children, among whom was Rhoda Louannie, born in 1889, and married Daniel Coker. Others of that family married into the families of the Sloans, Hagans, Baileys, Drawdys, Daniels, Smiths, Andrews, Hearns, DeVane and Thornes."