THE REAL PIONEERS OF COLORADO, By Maria Davies McGrath, Volume I, published by The Denver Museum, 1934;
Pg. 82
MAY BUTLER BROWN
Mary Ann Butler, better known as May Butler Brown, was born in October 1860, a daughter of John and Jane (Davies) Butler, who emigrated from South Wales in 1856. [They went] to Utah and returned to Denver under protection of United States soldiers when there were but nine women in what was then Auraria.
Mary Butler is one of seven children and is the only survivor. Receiving her education in the “Dug Out” school, located at 16th and Curtis, later at the seminary at 14th Street, then to the Arapahoe School. In 1879, Mary Butler was united in marriage at Golden, Colorado, to William Phillips, Jr. To this union were born three children: Emma Mary, born in 1880, died in infancy; Edith Rose, born October 7, 1881, married Frank R. Smith and they are the parents of two children, Marvin R. and Melva Jane. Marvin R. Smith married Blanche Webb and they are the parents of two children. Ralph Edwin, who married Marion Stillwell; Wm. Phillips, Jr., died in San Francisco, California, in 1894. [Note: the punctuation has been faithfully reproduced from “...parents of two children. through ...died in San Francisco,...” Ralph Edwin appears to have an unexplained relationship with the rest of the family.] On August 23, 1894, Mrs. Mary Butler Phillips was united in marriage at Ouray, Colorado, to George Walter Brown, who came to Denver in 1872. [He/They] moved to Durango about 10 years later, where he organized what is now the first National Bank of that city. Four years later he returned to Denver and engaged in the building and contracting business under the firm name of the Brown Contracting Company.
The Society of Colorado Pioneers determined that Mrs. Mary Butler Brown has the best claim to the title of the first while female child born in Denver. When the celebration of the admission of Colorado to the Union was held in 1876, Mrs. Brown, then Miss May Butler, represented Colorado and carried the flag in the procession of States. Mrs. Brown has been quite active among the pioneer societies and served as president of the Pioneer Ladies’ Aid Society of Colorado at various times for a period of 14 years.
Mr. George Walter Brown passed away at the family home June 1931.
