06/13/2026
This is yet another story about a ghost town near Douglass called Browntown.
The History of Browntown by Roxie Olmstead (1993)
Browntown was almost a forgotten town from the beginning. It was located on the east side of the Walnut River, across from Haskin’s Camp. It was also an oil boomtown. If not for Roxie Olmstead wanting to research it, it may have remained a ghost town and forgotten. Her parents, John and Elizabeth Frans lived at Gordon Heights and her dad had to walk back and forth to work in Browntown which was 2 miles, until he was able to afford to rent a house in Browntown. She also had an older sister born there. While starting research she discovered that Browntown was not listed on any of the Kansas Boomtown Oil Field maps, or on the Kansas Ghost town maps, or the Kansas Post Office maps, the State Highway Maps. After much research and interviewing thirty or forty people she was able to write the history of Browntown.
Before Highway 77 was completed in 1949, you drove through Browntown to get to Augusta from Douglass. Browntown came about in 1916 when the oil boom started in Walnut township. By June 1916 there was 150 producing oil wells in the Augusta District. Browntown was the new village south of Augusta on the Warren E. Brown farm and was named after him. Warren was an Augusta banker in the Geo. W. Brown & Son State Bank, founded by his father. Warren owned 1,280 acres in the heart of the Augusta oil field, and instead of leasing his land to others, he decided to do his own development work. He began drilling wells right away. The rest was developed by Wichita Natural, they built about 20 houses right away and others were being built immediately. A school was built right away north of the Warren E. Brown residence. The Brown’s moved to Wichita, where he built an elaborate home.
Wichita Natural became Empire Gas & Fuel Co. then changed to Cities Service eventually. Empire Oil built many houses, a large rooming house, boarding house, Bath house, a library and also a large horse barn to house all the horses they used to haul equipment. In July 1922, Empire lost 381 rigs in the El Dorado and Augusta area due to being blown down by a cyclone. After that they began to use steel to build the rigs. Empire built a huge steel machine shop in about 1916. It was the best shop in the entire area.
There was no electricity but there was a good supply of natural gas from the outfield. A network of piping through the ceilings connected to light fixtures had mantles similar to Coleman gasoline lamps. Heating and cooling were accomplished with natural gas. There was no charge for gas. Some houses had water lines behind them with spigots. Water was carried into the house. It was uncertain how the water was supplied. They used river water for bathing, washing dishes, and laundry. Empire hauled bottled water for drinking. They paid $7.00 a month to live in the housing provided by Empire. Each house had a path in the back to the “back House” as there was a sewer system. Empire had their own Dr. and Nurse and built an office for them on the southwest corner of the school. Vera Maxwell recalls her husband had his tonsils removed in that office. They didn’t have to pay for his services if he worked for Empire. It seems that he sent word to school that he would be removing tonsils in the office the next day if desired. The parents would bring their kids to get their tonsils removed. One boy about age 13 was having his taken out and he decided “Enough” he ran out of the office and climbed up on the horse barn and would not come down. No one ever knew if he ever got the other tonsil removed. A revival was held at the Browntown schoolhouse on March 11,1917.
Rev. Pulney of Wichita, a Methodist minister was the evangelist. But the church of the Nazarene was the only established church in Browntown. In 1917, Rev. Calhoun and others were dealing with the owners of the Browntown dance hall and trying to purchase it for a church. A church was established but unknown if it was the dance hall. Browntown is listed on the Kansas District church records in the Church of the Nazarene in Wichita from 1921-1927. The church was located South of the school on the East side of the road. The parsonage was first house South of the church.
Roxie’s parents rented a house for $10.00 a month in 1920 and later bought it for $100.00 and lived there a short time until 1923. The value of the church & parsonage was $400. The church later consolidated with the Augusta church about 1927 or 1928.
The school at Browntown existed before Browntown sprang up. The name of the school was Friendship School or Browntown School. It was a one room school prior to the oil boom. It became a two teacher in 1916 or 1917, then population increased until they built a new brick school. It was built in 1923, and was paid off in 4 years. It was red brick with plastered walls and four classrooms, a basketball court and stage. A battery powered generator system provided steam heat. The school made its own sewer system using septic tanks. The school was well appreciated because the homes did not have electricity, or bathrooms, or running water. The old school was moved across the road south of the grocery store and became the teacher’s home. There were as many as four teachers living there. The school bought a 1929 Model A Ford bus and transported pupils on his route. John Reed, also the janitor drove the bus. He transported high school students to Augusta and on return route he went to Millertown and picked up students to attend Browntown and had many other routes. The bus garage was behind the school. The record show as many as 225 pupils attended school in 1917 & 1918. There were many more that should have gone. A parent was heard saying that he did not send all his kids to school resulting in wanting a stricter truancy officer next year. Browntown produced many good athletes for Augusta High School.
The school was the center of the community activity. Community Night was held once a month for a number of years. Everyone took covered dishes which lined both halls. A variety of programs following the meal. Because of the high oilfield taxes going into the school’s treasury, they were able to take many field trips. Some of the trips included a tour of the capital in Topeka, a trip to the Butler County Court House, and several Wichita sites. It has been reported that many of the surrounding school districts were jealous of Browntown.
At the Christmas program in 1949 the nativity scene was quite real when Lemuel Hunters tiny infant portrayed Jesus and his sister Ruth played Mary. It made a real interesting scene.
The Empire Company built a recreation building, commonly called “The Dance Hall,” at Pipeyard. Vera Maxwell recalled it well. In 1920, her parents supervised she and a girlfriend and they all rode a bus from Augusta to Browntown to attend a dance there. Vera met her husband-to-be there at that dance. She says there were a lot of young people from Augusta.
Vera lived in Browntown when she was first married in 1921 and 1922. Len Tibbets had an adult orchestra. Vera played the violin, her husband, Oral, played the clarinet, John Reed played the saxophone, Rosemond Smith played a violin, plus others, making fifteen to twenty in the orchestra. They used to play concerts in a band shell behind the city building in Augusta.
Augusta was only three to five miles away from Browntown, depending which end of it you lived. Augusta had its movie theaters and events at its opera house.
Browntown was only two miles north of Gordon with Gordon Heights only three-fourths mile farther. Some of their recreation was found in these two towns.
In 1916 a movie theatre was built in Gordon Heights to accommodate three hundred people. New pool halls were built that same year in both Gordon and Gordon Heights.
Two hundred attended a big dance in Gordon in April 1916. The dance hosted by Reece and Strunk of the East Side Racket, Gordon Heights was given in honor of opening a new furniture store. Charles Anderson of Douglass furnished the music.
There were men’s baseball teams and both women’s and men’s basketball teams. I was told there were several baseball diamonds.
The rock quarry behind Pipeyard was a favorite picnic spot. Some of the children played there. Maxine Lackey recalls climbing up where there were caves and birds flying back in them. She said that she was too big a coward to go into the caves.
At a special school meeting held April 15, 1958, it was voted to annex Browntown school to Gordon next year. The dept. of instructions agreed and it was annexed to Gordon. The final activity was held May 17, 1958 with a basket dinner followed by a school program. There were 7 students listed.
As oil production went down, Browntown experienced a slow death. Houses and buildings were either moved to new locations or torn down. Many of the workers moved to Haverhill or Oil Hill. The only remains today are a few cellars, cement foundations of derricks, and possibly drainage ditches or lease roads.
Many thanks to Roxie Olmstead who did the research and wrote the “History of Browntown.” Without it Browntown may never have been known to exist. She was a wonderful writer and historian who took the time and patience to write histories of many ghost towns and oil field camps.
Rev. Pulney of Wichita, a Methodist minister was the evangelist. But the church of the Nazarene was the only established church in Browntown. In 1917, Rev. Calhoun and others were dealing with the owners of the Browntown dance hall and trying to purchase it for a church. A church was established but unknown if it was the dance hall. Browntown is listed on the Kansas District church records in the Church of the Nazarene in Wichita from 1921-1927. The church was located South of the school on the East side of the road. The parsonage was first house South of the church.
Roxie’s parents rented a house for $10.00 a month in 1920 and later bought it for $100.00 and lived there a short time until 1923. The value of the church & parsonage was $400. The church later consolidated with the Augusta church about 1927 or 1928.
The school at Browntown existed before Browntown sprang up. The name of the school was Friendship School or Browntown School. It was a one room school prior to the oil boom. It became a two teacher in 1916 or 1917, then population increased until they built a new brick school. It was built in 1923, and was paid off in 4 years. It was red brick with plastered walls and four classrooms, a basketball court and stage. A battery powered generator system provided steam heat. The school made its own sewer system using septic tanks. The school was well appreciated because the homes did not have electricity, or bathrooms, or running water. The old school was moved across the road south of the grocery store and became the teacher’s home. There were as many as four teachers living there. The school bought a 1929 Model A Ford bus and transported pupils on his route. John Reed, also the janitor drove the bus. He transported high school students to Augusta and on return route he went to Millertown and picked up students to attend Browntown and had many other routes. The bus garage was behind the school. The record show as many as 225 pupils attended school in 1917 & 1918. There were many more that should have gone. A parent was heard saying that he did not send all his kids to school resulting in wanting a stricter truancy officer next year. Browntown produced many good athletes for Augusta High School.
The school was the center of the community activity. Community Night was held once a month for a number of years. Everyone took covered dishes which lined both halls. A variety of programs following the meal. Because of the high oilfield taxes going into the school’s treasury, they were able to take many field trips. Some of the trips included a tour of the capital in Topeka, a trip to the Butler County Court House, and several Wichita sites. It has been reported that many of the surrounding school districts were jealous of Browntown.
At the Christmas program in 1949 the nativity scene was quite real when Lemuel Hunters tiny infant portrayed Jesus and his sister Ruth played Mary. It made a real interesting scene.
The Empire Company built a recreation building, commonly called “The Dance Hall,” at Pipeyard. Vera Maxwell recalled it well. In 1920, her parents supervised she and a girlfriend and they all rode a bus from Augusta to Browntown to attend a dance there. Vera met her husband-to-be there at that dance. She says there were a lot of young people from Augusta.
Vera lived in Browntown when she was first married in 1921 and 1922. Len Tibbets had an adult orchestra. Vera played the violin, her husband, Oral, played the clarinet, John Reed played the saxophone, Rosemond Smith played a violin, plus others, making fifteen to twenty in the orchestra. They used to play concerts in a band shell behind the city building in Augusta.
Augusta was only three to five miles away from Browntown, depending which end of it you lived. Augusta had its movie theaters and events at its opera house.
Browntown was only two miles north of Gordon with Gordon Heights only three-fourths mile farther. Some of their recreation was found in these two towns.
In 1916 a movie theatre was built in Gordon Heights to accommodate three hundred people. New pool halls were built that same year in both Gordon and Gordon Heights.
Two hundred attended a big dance in Gordon in April 1916. The dance hosted by Reece and Strunk of the East Side Racket, Gordon Heights was given in honor of opening a new furniture store. Charles Anderson of Douglass furnished the music.
There were men’s baseball teams and both women’s and men’s basketball teams. I was told there were several baseball diamonds.
The rock quarry behind Pipeyard was a favorite picnic spot. Some of the children played there. Maxine Lackey recalls climbing up where there were caves and birds flying back in them. She said that she was too big a coward to go into the caves.
At a special school meeting held April 15, 1958, it was voted to annex Browntown school to Gordon next year. The dept. of instructions agreed and it was annexed to Gordon. The final activity was held May 17, 1958 with a basket dinner followed by a school program. There were 7 students listed.
As oil production went down, Browntown experienced a slow death. Houses and buildings were either moved to new locations or torn down. Many of the workers moved to Haverhill or Oil Hill. The only remains today are a few cellars, cement foundations of derricks, and possibly drainage ditches or lease roads.
Many thanks to Roxie Olmstead who did the research and wrote the “History of Browntown.” Without it Browntown would never have been known to exist. She was a wonderful writer and historian who took the time and patience to write histories of many ghost towns and oil field camps.
Thanks to Mary Baldwin for compiling the story.
