Grapeland Texas
Queen City Of The Sand Flats
Algie Lee Brown was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on September 1, 1872. He died in Grapeland, Texas, February 9, 1951
Grapeland Texas
Algie-Lee-Brown
Algie Lee Brown was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on
September 1, 1872. He died in Grapeland, Texas, February 9,
1951. His parents were Frank Brown and Mary Margaret (Molly)
(Hurt) Brown. Both parents were also born in Hot
Springs, Arkansas. He was orphaned at a very early age; mother
died when he was 2 or 3 and father died when he was about 7
years old. An elderly uncle and aunt helped him. He lived
in Hot Springs until adulthood. After the death of Algie Lee
Brown, his children realized they never knew how their father
happened to come to Grapeland. About 1955, Mary Lou Darsey
Anderson was visiting in the Brown home and related the facts
as told to her by her father, George Edward Darsey. It was in
1897 or 1898 when Mr. Brown was traveling through Grapeland on
a train (without a diner) and was employed with a construction
company and the entire crew was traveling toGalveston, Texas.
While the train was getting water, Mr. Brown and two fellow
workers left the train to obtain lunch goods at the local
George E. Darsey store. Mr. Darsey was impressed with the
well-mannered, well-spoken, handsome young man and asked him
where he was going and for what purpose. Brown explained about
the workers on the train and that they had left Hot Springs to
get more work in `booming' Galveston. Mr. Darsey liked Brown
and told him to go back to the train and tell the workers that
Grapeland had a building boom too and to stay here. Brown and
several of the workers left the train and remained in
Grapeland. Mr. Darsey and Algie Lee Brown enjoyed a long and
staunch friendship. Algie Lee Brown married Edith Pearl
Pridgen in Grapeland,Texas, July 29, 1900, and they had a
beautiful wedding in the parlor at the Totty Hotel. In 1907,
he made the highest grade on a civil service examination and
became a rural mail carrier. He was retired after 30 plus
years of service having reached 65 years of age. He served
under five postmasters and during the administration of
Presidents Taft, Wilson, Harding,
Collidge, Hoover and Roosevelt. He used all modes of
transportation in his work. In the early years, a saddle pony
answered the purpose; then he used a cart and buggy, buying
his first car in 1920. He wore out 12 automobiles during his
service, traveling approximately 326,092 miles and handled
over 18 million pieces of mail. He was much loved by his
patrons and acquaintances in this area; many descendants still
remember and discuss his good advice and kindness to them in
times of great need. Edith Pearl Pridgen was born in Grapeland
on February 14, 1879 and died in Grapeland July 17, 1947.She
Was the youngest child of Benjamin Franklin Pridgen and Lucy
Alice (Wright) Pridgen? Refer to Benjamin Franklin Pridgen and
Lucy Alice (Wright) Pridgen history in this edition for more
detailed family history. The children of Algie Lee and Edith
Pearl (Pridgen) Brown are; a) Alice Lileene married Arch E.
Murray-no children. b) Edith Florence-married Wilbur A. Smith
-no children c) Joe Algie, now deceased, married Velma
Chandler-son Jerry Al. Jerry Al married Jo Beth Serres-had 6
children and one grandchild’s) Milam Polk-unmarried and
deceased. E) Coleman Ross unmarried and deceased’s) Gordon
Lee, deceased, married Ruth Taylor had one son, Charles
Gordon. Charles Gordon married Lorna-had two children. g)
Nettie Gertrude-unmarried. H) Lucy Wright -married Reece
Heardone daughter-Royce Ann. I) Pridgen, deceased, married
Virginia Bridges-had one son, Robert Phillip. j) Ted married
Otis Kale-had one son, Ted, Jr. k) Necia Jean-married Harry
Ryan Campbell-no children. Married Leo. J. Rubenstein-no
children]) Billy married Ada Stevens-no children. Edith Pearl
(Pridgen) Brown's maternal great-grandmother was Hannah
(Dudley) Taylor and she was a descendant of Edward. Edward
Dudley was descended from several English barons who prevailed
upon King John of England to ratify the Magna Charta in 1215.