Some people’s lives touch me so much that instead of spending a little bit of time entering their vital records on my tree, I end up spending days in their company! Dorothy Brown is one of those individuals.

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While researching Prescott Valley, Arizona, this week, I discovered the beautiful memoir of Dorothy Brown (1903-1997). She wrote it in 1988, at age 85. In 2012, her son gave it to the Prescott Valley Historical Society, who write on their website:

Dorothy Brown, “Mission Accomplished”, memoir, a history of a family making their way in and out of Arizona, filled with interesting facts throughout.

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Dorothy Brown was born in 1903 in Cornwall, England, and came to America with her family in 1908. The family lived in different places and spent quite a few years in Arizona, in the Prescott area, just 2 hours north of where we live, in Phoenix.

Her memoir, “Mission Accomplished”, is 19 pages of delight… She writes with a great sense of humor and speaks of many events that happened during her childhood in the 1910s, providing tons of information about the life at that time. Villages, life with her family, climate, school, her friends, neighbors, seeing Halley’s Comet, meeting Titanic survivors, the Great War, and even her encounter with actor Tom Mix who was on location, making a movie!

I really enjoyed reading it. A goldmine for any genealogist or historian! It was also nice to read about places I know very well and that already existed in the 1910s. (Prescott Valley was founded much later, in 1978). Next time we go to Prescott, I’ll make sure to go to the places she mentions.

Here are some of the events she shares in her memoir:

1910 – Halley’s Comet

“The most memorable event was Haley’s comet in 1910. Our dear neighbor and her family, mamma, papa, Esme and I all stood in the street watching the pretty comet with the beautiful long tail streak across the sky. A beautiful clear night and a sight to behold. Many Italians and Austrians were so afraid it was the end of the world so crawled into their beds until they thought it safe to get out.“

1912 – Being on the “Adriatic” in April 1912 along with several Titanic survivors

Dorothy and her family went back to England for a little while in 1912 due to her mother’s health.

“We sailed out of New York harbor on the White Star Liner “the Adriatic” sister ship to the ill-fated Titanic also white star liner. Now this was April 1912 and soon after we boarded ship it became known we had several survivors from the fateful sinking of the luxury and unsinkable Titanic. Some of the wealthiest people in the world went down with the ship. On board the Adriatic were all women children others than a steward who was still in shock. I remember one very pretty blonde Swedish lady with a little boy and a baby in arms. She stood in icy water for hours. She had lost her husband. One other lovely young lady was coming to America with her father and sweetheart to be married here. Both of the men went down with the Titanic and she was on her way back to her homeland. Very sad.”

(It reminded me of another “Brown” lady, the “Unsinkable Molly Brown“. Stay tuned for a future post on this remarkable lady!)

1914 – 1918 – World War I: Spanish Flu and the Armistice

Dorothy speaks of how she helped the war effort, knew individuals who fought and died in France, the Spanish Flu, and her favorite teacher who died of it.

“The first news of the Armistice ‘18 early on a bitter cold morning, people beating on dish pans, wash tubs whistles and sirens blowing and some shots fired. Dad was the first out of bed trying to get a fire started it was in Nov the 11th and oh so cold. Soon people were out in the streets celebrating. Later a meeting was called by the Mayor and a parade was to be later that day. It was very interesting because most all people were in the parade. Happy Day!” 

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I’ll stop writing because I only have two words for you: read it! 🙂

You can find Dorothy Brown’s memoir here.

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Thank you so much, Mrs. Dorothy Brown, for taking the time to write your delightful memoir! I learned so much about the life in northern Arizona in the 1910s. You made my day! Well… You made my week, really… And thank you, Dorothy’s son, for donating it to the Prescott Valley Historical Society to share it!

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