Hello All,
I have a book written by Ralph Hoaglund "The Town of Homestead" He wrote it for the Homestead Centennial 1994. It states: Charlie Brown came to Homestead with his parents, Henry and Anna about 1880. They had worked and lived in Ishpeming for a time after coming here from Sweden. Early Settler Honors certainly have to be accorded to the Brown Family. Charlie and his father started the Brown farm which is still owned by his daughter Katherine Erickson. Besides being very active in the Township affairs, both before and after we officially became the Town of Homestead. Charlie operated a saw mill on the farm. I can remember his brother Maurice being the town Treasurer in later years. Maurice lived across from the Arvid Westman farm. Charlies sister Alma married Robert Bergquist who was another man that served his community most of his life. Roberts town clerk minutes can be read on almost any page of the Town records for many years. Because he had some high school education to enhance his natural abilities, he was highly reguarded by his fellow pioneer neighbors. the two Bergquist children were Valentine, and Violet. Robert passed on in a way that alot of us might wish for, sitting on the bank of the Little Popple, fishing trout. Richard and Barbara Olsen now make their home on the Robert Bergquist farm.
Just to the east of Roberts farm was the original Bergquist homestead, which was farmed by Roberts brother Emil after their parents died.

Pat Burns named the town Burnsville while he was town chairman and When Charlie Brown later became chairman he renamed the town Brownsville. Inbetween it was known as Little Popple. The Town of Homestead was born in 1894.

Hope this is of interest to some one. There is a copy of the book at the Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Library.
You may want to cantact Ralph Hoaglund. Or some of the others listed here for more information. Ralph still resides in Homestead on thier family farm.
Donna Revello