James Proctor Brown was born in 1911 in Morristown, Hamblen County, TN, and died in Bloomington, IL in 1989.  He married Lucinda Zelia McAfee in 1939. His wife, ‘Lue’ was born in Richmond ,Wayne County, IN 1911 and died in 1992 in Normal, IL. They are listed in Bloomington City directories from 1955 through 1971. They lived at 504 Manchester Road until 1965; from 1965-71, they listed as rural route 2.

James Proctor Brown was a commercial artist. He is listed in the Bloomington City Directories as “artist/ office worker” from 1955 to 1971 with Biddle Advertising Company. About 1962 he partnered with Dr. Wilson M. Baltz to establish B&B Enterprises, a company that sold embroidered emblems of State and National Parks under the name “Trailblazers.”

Lue Brown was President of the Newcomers Club in 1955.   She was a co-owner with Vera Killion of Landmark Gallery (Antiques, Art and Gifts) at Center and Chestnut Streets in Le Roy as shown on an undated Christmas card from the Gallery. Lue Brown is listed as a real estate saleswoman with Hal Riss Real Estate in 1964 and1965.  She was also a special educator for home bound students.

The collection contains newspaper clippings, personal Christmas cards designed by James Proctor Brown, Trailblazer Emblems drawn by Brown, Eastland Mall Christmas Booklets, a city directory search and a photograph of James Proctor Brown as a young man.