Here is another picture of Harriet taken when she was a young woman and donated to us by relatives of the Brown Family. Harriet May Brown was born May 22, 1875 in Vancouver, Washington to Charles and Rebecca Slocum Brown. She married Edward Laramie Carpenter and together they had two children, Edward Laramie Jr. born in 1900 and Elizabeth Frances born in 1905. Another daughter, Rebecca, was born in 1901 and died shortly after birth. Harriet passed away on January 25, 1964 in Seattle, Washington. According to her granddaughters Nancy Brunquist and Deborah Reis, Harriet loved to wear elaborate clothing and hats up until her death. Harriet also belonged to the DAR or Daughters of the American Revolution and the Women’s Century Club of Seattle, the latter organized for the intellectual and cultural development of its members and for social service. Harriet lived in an amazing era- from horse and buggies traveling to Fort Walla Walla to traveling with her sister Floy by jet to Hawaii and Palm Springs.

This photograph of Harriet Brown Carpenter and her son Edward Laramie Carpenter Jr. was sent to me last week by Brown family member Liz Carpenter. Liz is the daughter in law of E.L. Carpenter Jr. and attended the luncheon we held here in the Brown House in May. Communicating with Liz, I found out E.L. Jr. was born right here in the Brown House. Photo taken 1905. More about Harriet and her son are posted on the May 30th and July 21st postings in this journal.

I found a copy of this postcard while researching the Brown House at the Clark County Historical Museum. The Brown House is pictured on the front. The postcard is from Mrs. Charles Brown (Rebecca) and is to her daughter Harriet Brown Carpenter.

The postcard reads: “When will you ever write again. Have you received the Union suits. All well- Floy and Will had a fine trip to Willamette valley”. Mother, Mrs. Charles Brown.

Floy, mentioned in the postcard, is the daughter of Rebecca and sister of Harriet. Will is Floy’s husband, Will DuBois.

A union suit is a type of one piece long underwear typically worn by men. It traditionally buttons up the front and has a button up rear “access hatch”. These would have been very common at the time Rebecca wrote this postcard in the early 1900′s. To get a better idea of what a Union suit looks like I have placed a vintage ad below.

Grandson of Charles Brown, Edward Laramie Carpenter Jr. was born March 3, 1900 in Vancouver, Washington right here in the Brown House. His parents Edward Laramie Sr. and Harriet Brown Carpenter were living in Aberdeen, Washington at the time but Harriet returned to Vancouver to give birth at the family home which was fairly common at the time.

E.L. attended public school in Aberdeen and attended the University of Washington, where he graduated with a degree in Engineering. While attending the University of Washington, he met his future wife, Margaret Kamps. They would eventually have two children, Edward L. III and Margaret (Peg). Peg visited the Brown House on July 10th while passing through Vancouver. This photograph of E.L. Carpenter Jr. was donated by his daughter Peg as well as this memoir taken from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

In 1942 E.L. was called into active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He was assigned to the Admiral’s staff in the Alaska Sector and while on an inspection trip in July he was killed in an airplane crash.

July 10th was another great day for the Charles Brown House. We were fortunate to have another one of Charles Brown’s great-granddaughters stop by the house on her way through town. Peg Shaeffer, granddaughter of Harriet Brown Carpenter, was unable to attend the luncheon here on May 25th but expressed and interest to drop in next time she was passing through Vancouver.

Peg stayed for a little over an hour, took a tour of the house, and shared information pertaining to her side of the family. She also learned new information she did not know about her own family, research I had done. Margaret “Peg” Carpenter was born September 24, 1925 in Seattle, Washington to Edward Laramie Carpenter Jr. and Margaret Kamps. She married David Shaeffer and they have five grown children.

Coincidentally, Peg’s husband David lived in the Brown House for a few years as a very small child! His parents rented the front part of the house from Alice Hubbard. It was not until a few years after their marriage that the connection they both shared with the Brown House was discovered. David Shaeffer has a distinct recollection of the stairwell to the upstairs of the house. Peg quotes, “It scared him to death, it was so steep!”. Photograph of Peg Shaeffer on the front porch of the Brown House. Also, the stairwell her husband speaks of.

Harriet May Brown was born May 22, 1875 in Vancouver, Washington to Charles and Rebecca Slocum Brown. She married Edward Laramie Carpenter and together they had two children, E.L. II born in 1900 and Elizabeth Frances born in 1905. Harriet passed away on January 25, 1964 in Seattle, Washington. According to her granddaughters Nancy Brunquist and Deborah Reis, Harriet loved to wear elaborate clothing and hats up until her death. Harriet also belonged to the DAR or Daughters of the American Revolution and the Women’s Century Club of Seattle, the latter organized for the intellectual and cultural development of its members and for social service. Harriet lived in an amazing era- from horse and buggies traveling to Fort Walla Walla to traveling with her sister Floy by jet to Hawaii and Palm Springs.