THE BRAINARD HOUSE.
(AKA: Res. 33.)
1851 - Today
© Floyd D. P. Øydegaard.
Brainard's House - 2009.
1851 September - Benjamin M. Brainard bought a lot with a warehouse and wood frame wholesale grocery house on Fulton Street, Columbia, California.
1853 October 15th - Clementine Allen Houghton Brainard arrives with her husband, to live in a house on Broadway, near State Street.
1854 July 10th - the conflagration supposedly started by a man named "Babe" began at 2-3 o'clock in the morning, two doors down from Clark's Hotel. The result was almost total destruction of the town. By noon the next day buildings were being constructed at a fast pace. The Brainard's business on Fulton was lost (Brainard and Co. grocery and provision store west of Main Street on Fulton Street) and their Main Street store started in brick the next day, using a common wall with Franklin and Wolfe who's building of brick, just being constructed, suffered little damage.
1854 July 27th - Clementine writes, "Have not been able to write for a long time on account of being so unsettled since the fire.
"On the morning of the 10th of this month a fire broke out about half past two, and before sunrise the entire town with the exception of a few buildings was reduced to ashes, our house and store are both burned; they saved a part of the goods at the Store, and most of the things at the house; our house was the last building burnt. The same morning we got a room at Mr. Sears' and have been keeping house here since."
1854 August - Builds a one story brick building with a common wall with the Franklin & Wolfe Building. B. M. Brainard's groceries and provisions on Main Street. For a few months it is the home of the Wells, Fargo office.
1854 December 7th - Clementine writes, "Moved into our new home this evening, and am overjoyed to be alone again, for I had got all out of patience living with another family in the same house. The cook room, buttery (butery is the anglicized version of bouteillerie. Here it refers to the pantry), my bedroom & closet, and one chamber."
1855 January 29th - Clementine gives birth to their first child, Charles Marcellus, in the house.
1856 March - Reuben Brainard, Marcellus' father, from Mammouth, Kenebec Co, Me. arrives in Columbia.
1856 June 29th - Marcellus died of fever at 30 years and 7 months. Buried in Columbia Cemetery.
1856 August 23rd - Frances Amelia Brainard is born in the house on Green and Broadway. Second child to Clementine & Benjamin M. Brainard.
1856 September 17th - Reuben Brainard, died at 60. He is buried near Marcellus.
1859 June 1st - Bought from Clementine by William O. Sleeper.
1866 House is sold by the sheriff to Jack Douglass, than back to Sleeper.
1868 House is sold to David Stage, and the house was rented to Dr. G. J. Van Dack.
1871 Van Dack sold it. Owned by Abe & Etta Levy, Pat Shine and then pucrhased by Davis.
