Also known as South Westminster, it was located where the city ran a small ferry across the Fraser River, today approximately where the east footing of the Skytrain bridge is, this was also the former site of qiqéyt (Qayqayt), one of the main summer villages of the Kwantlen people and later, also the Musqueam people[1] The town was named after Ebenezer Brown, who owned property in the area and had come from England in 1858-1859 during the Fraser Gold Rush.
[2] The indigenous summer village called Kikait, modern spelling qiqéyt, was at the site of Brownsville prior to Ebenezer Brown taking up land there.
While closely associated with the Musqueam and Kwantlen people, this former fishing camp was used by the Tsawwassen and other Halkomelem or Hun'qum'i'num (hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓) groups during late summers.
Salmon and sturgeon were caught and processed here before being brought back for storage at the longhouses of the winter villages.
This was also the site of a church in which many marriages and baptisms were conducted for the Hun'qum'i'num people of the Lower Fraser.