Brown Hotel
Chico, Wise County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Colonel J.T. Brown founded town of Chico in 1876; built this hotel 1888. In ceremony on hotel porch, Governor Charles A. Culberson pardoned Brown for his part in an 1895 fight fatality. Banker-tenant R. Lee Morris owned Brown Hotel from 1908 to 1965.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Colonel J.T. Brown founded Chico in 1876 and a dozen years later built this hotel, a fixture of the young North Texas town. In a striking scene, Governor Charles A. Culberson stood on the hotel porch to pardon Brown for his role in a deadly 1895 fight. Banker R. Lee Morris held the property for most of the twentieth century, from 1908 to 1965.
Why it matters
A small-town hotel like this served as the social and commercial hub of frontier Texas towns, and its colorful history reflects the rough-and-ready justice of the era.
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Related people
- · J.T. Brown
- · Charles A. Culberson
- · R. Lee Morris
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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The Methodist Church in Chico
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