Back in 1997, I was hired to research a parcel near Pittville on the Lassen-Shasta County line. It became a very convulated affair, and not a pleasant one on my part. However, the early history of the property has an unusual tale.

Delbert Lester Brown (1890-1966) gave this most unusual address of the “Right Hand of God Earthly Father”  when his daughter was born in 1924.  Brown’s homestead  was situated on the bench above Pittville. He located there in 1914, after moving from Lakeview, Oregon. When Brown was digging a well by hand, he reached a point when it was necessary to blast out the rocks with dynamite. Brown set his charges into the well hole and tried to detonate them. Nothing happened, so he crawled into the hole to locate the problem. Brown discovered the charges had become damp. Since there was little light, Brown, with the claw end of a hammer, accidentally struck one of the blasting caps. Luckily, it did not go off. At that moment, Brown decided that the hand of the Lord was on his side and that he must change his ways. After that incident Brown began spreading the gospel and he became widely known as Preacher Brown.

Note: For those interested my broken wrist is improving. Progress is slow but sure, but this year I will not able to do as much cemetery work prior to Memorial Day.

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