C. M. Brown

Charles M. Brown (June 9, 1866 – October 9, 1914) was a prominent civic leader, businessman, and Freemason in early 20th-century Bristol.

Masonic Record

He served a one-year term as the Worshipful Master of King Lodge No. 461 in Bristol, Tennessee, in 1909.

Professional and Civic History

• Bristol Board of Trade: Brown served as the president of the Bristol Board of Trade during a period of rapid industrial expansion and aggressive civic boosterism for the twin cities.
• The Original Bristol Sign Slogan: He is most historically notable for coining the original phrase for the iconic illuminated Bristol Virginia-Tennessee Slogan Sign. In 1910, when a gas and electric company offered to gift the twin cities a massive 35-by-60-foot electric sign if they provided the text, Brown created the slogan: "Push! . . . That's Bristol".
• Legacy of the Slogan: Brown designed the phrase to reflect the town’s "growing pains" and forward momentum. The $1,100 sign bearing his words arrived on a special railroad car and was dedicated on July 4, 1910, with over 3,000 citizens in attendance. Brown's slogan remained suspended over State Street for over a decade. It was eventually replaced in 1921 with "A Good Place to Live" after burnt-out incandescent bulbs repeatedly altered the sign to display comical misspellings like "PU--! THAT'S BRISTOL".
• Business Ties: Historical genealogical records connect his career to the Mitchell-Powers Hardware Company in Bristol. This hardware industry connection aligns with the era's local infrastructure, as the Bristol slogan sign he helped create was originally erected atop the Virginia-Tennessee Hardware building before being moved directly over State Street.