Yuba County
Biographies
ARCHIE L. BROWNLEE
An enterprising man of affairs, to whom, it is apparent, much responsibility may well be committed, is Archie L. Brownlee, the popular manager of the Yuba River Sand Co. He was born at Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, on April 25, 1882, the son of J. H. and Martha (Muir) Brownlee, his father being a land surveyor of the Dominion Government. He merited, as he received, the esteem of both his colleagues and the public; and Mrs. Brownlee, who is now deceased, was equally honored as a woman, doing her part in social and civic circles.
Archie L. Brownlee attended the public schools of Canada, the high school and Victoria College, and was graduated from the latter in 1902; and then he was with the Western Engineering Construction Co. on the first Folsom dredges and on the first Yuba dredges, as well as on the construction of other dredges from 1903 to 1907. After that, for a few months he went to Fairbanks, Alaska, then returned to the Natomas dredges, Numbers 1, 2 and 3, and next operated the rock crusher at Oroville. In 1909, he went to Sacramento of the Natomas Company of California, in their rock crushing department, remaining until December, 1919. Meantime, in 1909, he was one of the organizers of the Yuba River Sand Co. and became its manager, establishing the plant at Marysville, and has been in charge of operations at that place ever since that time. Since January, 1922, he has been district representative at Marysville of the Coast Rock and Gravel Company, of San Francisco, which operates the aforementioned plant as well as the plants of the Natomas Company of California, California Building Material Company, and the Piedra Rock Company. Mr. Brownlee is deeply interested in local problems and is always ready to do his share in improving conditions, or in “boosting” this unrivalled section of the great Golden State.
When Mr. Brownlee married, he chose for his wife Miss June Clark, of Iowa; and she shares with him the social life of the Sutter Club, of Sacramento. Mr. Brownlee is a Mason and an Elk. Both Mr. and Mrs. Brownlee are public spirited, and furnish an admirable example in this respect to many native sons and daughters, who might be expected to enthuse more concerning their blessings under California skies.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1158