Brown's Christmas Trees

History:

In 1943, W. H. and Frances Brown purchased 161 acres in northern Spalding County and southern Henry County just north of Sunny Side at what is now the county line at US 19 & 41 Highway.  The four lane highway was not constructed until the early 1950’s.  When W. H. and Frances purchased the farm, it came with the main house, and with no electricity in the area, which meant no lights, running water and indoor plumbing.

The food was cooked over a wood stove and the water was drawn from the well in front of the house.  The farm house and well are located to the south of the entrance across Minter Drive from the Christmas tree farm.  Also in the deed of purchase were two tenant houses, two mules, plow stocks, barns filled with corn, and various miscellaneous farm items.  Sharecroppers helped farm the land with crops of oats, watermelons, pecans, a vineyard, and cotton.  The 1950 cotton quota allotment allowed for 21 acres of cotton to be planted.  All this was done with the mules.

As with all farms at the time, there was the vegetable garden for fresh produce to be canned for the winter.  Also they had pecan, walnut, and chestnut trees, strawberries, figs, pomegranates, grapes and scuppernongs. They purchased their first tractor in 1953, a model SC Case tri-wheel tractor with several pieces of equipment and a grain combine.  W.H. prepared a fescue pasture and fenced approximately 35 acres for a beef cattle operation.  During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the property was enrolled in the Federal Land Bank and planted in serecia lespedeza for soil conservation.  In 1978 the Christmas Tree Farm was begun by W.H. and Gordon.