Chester and Grace: The Real American Tragedy

4/11/06- BILLY THE KID


THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 1886 IN THE TINY ISOLATED CENTRAL NEW YORK FARMING COMMUNITY OF SOUTH OTSELIC IN CHENANGO COUNTY WHEN A BABY GIRL WAS BORN TO A FARMING FAMILY HEADED BY FRANK AND MINERVA BROWN. LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THAT THEIR NEWBORN DAUGHTER, THE FIFTH OF NINE CHILDREN, WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE MOST TRAGIC FIGURES IN AMERICAN HISTORY. THE NAME THAT THEY GAVE HER WAS GRACE MAE BROWN.

AS A LITTLE GIRL, GRACE'S LIFE WAS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER TYPICAL FARM GIRL OF THAT ERA: EVERYTHING EVOLVED AROUND THE FARM. SHE WENT TO SCHOOL IN A ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE, WHERE SHE WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S BRIGHTEST STUDENTS AND WHERE SHE DEVELOPED HER TALENT FOR WRITING, WHICH WOULD LATER SERVE HER WELL IN A CRUCIAL POINT IN HER LIFE LATER ON. ALSO OF NOTE, SHE ACQUIRED HER FAMOUS NICKNAME, "BILLY" BECAUSE HER FAMILY OBSERVED HER SINGING ONE OF HER FAVORITE SONGS, "WON'T YOU COME HOME, BILL BAILEY." APPARANTLY, THE NICKNAME STUCK WITH HER, FOR BOTH FAMILY AND FRIENDS STARTED CALLING HER "BILLY."

ANOTHER INTERESTING POINT IN CONNECTION WITH HER NICKNAME IS THE FACT THAT SHE ALSO STARTED REFERRING TO HERSELF AS "THE KID" IN ADDITION TO BILLY. IT KIND OF MADE YOU WONDER IF GRACE HAD HEARD STORIES OF THE FAMOUS WESTERN OUTLAW BILLY THE KID. IT KIND OF STARTED OUT AS A JOKE FOR HER, BUT AS WE LEARNED LATER ON, SHE SIGNED HER FAMOUS LETTERS AS "THE KID."

WHEN SHE APPROACHED HER LATE TEENS, GRACE HAD TO LEAVE SCHOOL, MEANING THAT SHE NEVER GRADUATED. IN SOUTH OTSELIC, THERE WAS ONLY THAT ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE. SHE LATER SPENT SIX MONTHS WORKING ON A FARM NEARLY FORTY MILES FROM HOME AND SHE FELT AWFUL. OTHER THAN THAT, SHE STAYED ON THE FARM UNTIL HER OLDER SISTER, ADA HAWLEY INVITED HER TO LIVE WITH HER, HER HUSBAND, AND THEIR NEWBORN SON IN CORTLAND, THIRTY MILES AWAY. THE 18-YEAR-OLD GRACE QUICKLY ACCEPTED BECAUSE WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR, SHE WOULD NOT FIND IT IN HER SMALL TOWN.

AND SO, GRACE MOVED TO CORTLAND IN THE FALL OF 1904 AND NEARLY A MONTH LATER, SHE WAS HIRED AT THE GILLETTE SKIRT FACTORY, WHERE SHE LEARNED HOW TO BE A SEAMSTRESS AND SOON AFTER, WORKED IN THE INSPECTING DEPARTMENT. HER JOB WAS TO INSPECT THE FINISHED PRODUCTS BEFORE SHIPPING. HER NEW LIFE WAS JUST BEGINNING. THEN NEARLY SIX MONTHS LATER, A NEW FACTOR IN HER LIFE EMERGED. ONE THAT WOULD CHANGE HER LIFE FOREVER.

THAT WOULD BE THE DAY SHE MET CHESTER GILLETTE.