Brown, B. Cane

B. CANE BROWN
submitted by Julian Berkley Ruiz
Berkley Cane (Caney) Brown farmed a few acres of what is now the Browntown area of Biltmore Forest. He was the son of William Burton and Mary Catherine (Spain) Brown. On September 23, 1888, he married Lou Emma Ray, the daughter of Sara (Clark) Ray. About 1910 Cane purchased acreage in Oteen where he farmed and operated a small general store. At the corner of his property (now U.S. 70 and Riceville Road) was a real good spring, known as Maple Spring. Many Asheville-bound wagon freighters stopped at this spring overnight with their loads of produce. He sold this property (the present site of Oteen Veteran’s Administration Hospital) to the government in 1918. He moved back to Asheville (Biltmore Avenue) where he operated a livery stable and wood yard. He and his brother, Aris, would meet the trains in Biltmore and offer their livery services. About 1924, Cane purchased a farm across the highway from the V.A. Hospital. There he built a two-story, 7 bedroom, 2-bath house – very modern for its time. He farmed and raised hogs there until his death in 1943. This property is now the site of the Oteen Methodist Church.
Cane’s and Lou’s chidren were:

1. Bessie Ella Brown (1889-1980)
2. a son who died at birth (1891)
3. Charlie Burton Brown (1892-1956) who married Nettie Laura Hollar
4. Elsie May Brown (1893-1984) who married Cipriano Nilo Ruiz
5. Annie Logan Brown (1898-1983) who married Richard Valentine Nicely
6. Robert Steele Brown (1905-1979) who married Eva Demaris Padgett.

Source: Personal knowledge
from Heritage II, article #72, p. 109

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