The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 357 CAPTAIN E. K. BROWN. Edwin Keech Brown was born at Morse, Johnson county, Iowa, July 10, 1879, a son of John W. and Mary Ruth (Morse) Brown. He is descended from actual participants on the American side in the Revolutionary war through all four grandparents and either a direct or collateral ancestor has participated in every war from colonial days down to the present time. His father was born at Solon, Johnson county, Iowa, January 1, 1852, a son of Julius G. and Amaretta Brown, who settled in that county in 1838. John W. Brown wedded Mary Ruth Morse, who was born at Morse, Johnson county, in December, 1853, a daughter of Edwin Keech and Mary Morse, who became residents of Johnson county in 1837. Both parents of Edwin K. Brown have passed away. The father died at Solon, Iowa, October 12, 1884, and the mother died in Tustin, Orange county, California, in March, 1894, having survived her husband for a decade. In the acquirement of his education Edwin K. Brown attended the Iowa City Academy, from which he was graduated in June, 1898, after which he spent five years in the University of Iowa, where he pursued the arts and law courses, winning the degree of LL. B. in June, 1904. He also won a number of oratorical and debating prizes, including the Iowa-Wisconsin joint debate in April, 1902, and first place in the Northern Oratorical League Contest in May, 1902. Since the completion of his law course he was engaged in the practice of his profession, which he followed in Iowa City, Iowa, from June, 1904, until February, 1906. He then removed to the northwest and has practiced in Kittitas county, Washington, since April, 1900, being in Cle Elum until December, 1908, and in Ellensburg since that time. He served as city attorney of Cle Elum in 1908 and from 1909 until 1912 inclusive was prosecuting attorney of Kittitas county, covering two terms. He has always been actively engaged in his profession, especially as a trial lawyer, and his preparation of his cases is thorough and exhaustive, his presentation of his cause clear and cogent. Aside from his public service as city and county attorney he has been numbered among the lawmakers of the state, having represented Kittitas county in the state legislature during the 1913 session. The military record of Captain Brown covers service in two wars. He was a private of Company I, Fiftieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, from April until December, 1898, during the Spanish-American war. He was commissioned first lieutenant of Field Artillery in the National Army at the Presidio training camp in San Francisco, California, on the 27th of November, 1917, and was at once ordered into foreign service. He remained in military service for eighteen months, or from August 25, 1917, until February 24, 1919, when he was honorably discharged at Camp Lewis, Washington, and returned to his home with a most creditable military record, having been on active duty on foreign soil for a year. He is a graduate of the Saumur Artillery School, and he served on seven fronts, one with French and six with Americans, being with the Seventh Field Artillery, First Artillery Brigade, First Division, and acting as battery commander throughout the entire time. He was commissioned captain of Field Artillery in the United States Army, August 17, 1918. The principal engagements in which he participated were the battle of Cantigny; the battle of Soissons in the allied offensive beginning July 18, 1918; the St. Mihiel drive; and the battle of the Argonne, including the march on the Sedan, covering forty-three days, until the armistice was signed. He was cited by general orders, First Division, for distinguished conduct during the battle of the Argonne, and thus he has written another most interesting chapter to the history of those citizens of Kittitas county who have seen active military service. On the 21st of December, 1910, at Ellensburg, Kittitas county, Washington, Captain Brown was united in marriage to Miss Anna Katherina Rollinger, a daughter of Nicholas and Lena Rollinger, who were pioneer settlers of Kittitas county, where they took up their abode in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have a daughter, Mary Evangela, who was born October 30, 1911. The religious faith of Captain Brown is that of the Roman Catholic church. He belongs to the Phi Delta Theta, a college fraternity which he joined in June, 1902. In 1903 he became a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and was given a life membership by Ellensburg Lodge, No. 1102 on his return from France, February 4, 1919. In 1909 he joined the Sons of the American Revolution and in 1912 he became a fourth degree Knight of Columbus. He had always been a republican until 1912, when he affiliated with the progressive party, giving to it his support again in 1914. He was republican state committeeman from Kittitas county in 1916 and 1917, having returned to the republican party after the 1914 election. He made a speaking tour in eastern Washington in 1916 for the state and national republican tickets and is a most firm believer in the principles of the republican party. In various ways he is exercising considerable influence over public thought and action in his adopted state and the worth of his work along many lines is widely acknowledged. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.