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Note: N94 4th child
Moved with his parents through Indiana, Morgan Co. Ill, and three locations in Pike Co. Ill to (in 1832) Sec 27, Pleasant Vale Township, Pike Co. (called “Pine Lawn Farm”), 2 miles south of New Canton. The farm later became the railroad stop of Brewster Ill. with the one-room schoolhouse built beside Brewster Creek.
Owned and managed the farm of 1100 acres, using many employees and raised stock. This was one of the few western farms of that size in the mid 1800’s. A similar acreage in the South required 60-100 slaves. “Indentured servants” were commonly used as farm laborers in Illinois until 1849. Many of these were Irish immigrants.
In 1849 Charles crossed the plains with a team of oxen and spend 19 months in California successfully prospecting for gold. Upon his return to Illinois he enlarged his farming operation and added stock raising.
He accumulated considerable property and was a very popular man in his neighborhood, always paid his hands good wages and promptly.
Was county supervisor for many years and held other local offices.
In 1835 with Hiram Smith and Jesse Tittsworth he founded the town of New Canton.
On 3/23/1852, Charles md Melvina Purcell (8/28/1834-12-31-1912), b. Perryville (now Perrysville), Ind. d. New Canton, Ill, at age of 77. Buried in family plot at Brewster, Ill. She was the dau of Aaron Purcell (d. 1834, of cholera , in New Orleans), and Maria (Clement) Purcell (12/20/1802-3/24/1864), bd Brewster, Ill. Aaron was a boatman on the Mississippi. Melvina came to Pike Co. with her mother in 1836, first near Pittsfield, later near Barry. She was the youngest of 6 children and the last survivor. Charles originally hired Maria and dau Melvina to keep house for him and cook meals for his hired men. Melvina was 17 and Charles 40 when they were married. According th Harry Welch (appendix) “Melvina was a hustler, a woker; pushed things; turned us kids loose in her big house to have a good time.”
(from Brewster Genealogy by William McCray Brewster; 1977)) _____________________
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William Tilford Elledge, James Boone's brother, had died at Pleasant Vale, August 17, 1840, unmarried and intestate, leaving a considerable estate, which was administered by his stepfather, Joseph Jackson, with Pearley Jackson as surety. A public sale of Tilford's property was held at Pleasant Vale October 10, 1840.
At sales, as at weddings, whisky circulated freely. It seems to have fallen to the lot of the clerk of the sale to provide the whisky therefor, the records showing the clerk bringing in a bill for whisky for the sale along with his charge for clerking. So at this sale Clerk Thomas Newenhall presented a bill against the estate for $1 for "2 gals. whisky for sale."
Among the bidders of record at this 1840 sale in Pleasant Vale are Charles Brewster (one of the three founders of New Canton), Benjamin Barney (the early "county blacksmith"), Joseph B. Scholl (son of William Scholl and Martha Elledge and grandson of Francis Elledge and Charity Boone), James B. Elledge (Tilford's brother), David Dutton (noted early day Pike county commissioner), Joseph Jackson (second husband of Tilford's mother, Malinda Scholl Elledge), Benjamin Webb (husband of Tilford's half-sister, Lucinda Jackson), Aury Brown, E. T. Martin, Amos Morey, Cassada B. Williams, Lorenzo Jackson, James Minturn, Horace Palmer, Pat Freaks, Sam Jeffries, Francis Jackson, Charles Jackson and Jesse Elledge. The sale was cried by Robert R. Davis and clerked by Thomas Newenhall.”
Charles T. Brewster was born in the state of New York, in 1811, and remained with his father until 1832, when he purchased a piece of land and commenced farming on section 27, in Pleasant Vale township, remaining there until 1849. About this time he crossed the plains, with ox teams, to California, where he arrived just four months from the day he crossed the Mississippi river. He immediately engaged in mining for gold. After remaining nineteen months, he became satisfied with his success, and returned home in 1854. He again engaged in farming and raising stock, but on a larger scale than before. He has large and valuable possessions in Pleasant Vale, Illinois, where he is now living in comfort and ease. He has always been a useful man in his community, and has given employment to a great many poor people, always paying good wages. There is one man now in his employ who has been with him for thirty years.
In 1852, he married Miss Melvina Percell, of Pike county, Illinois. They have had eight children, three of whom are still living — Charles E., Ann M., and Minnie M. Mr. Brewster is one of the heavy property holders of Pike County, and has always been of very active habits, and a thorough-going business man. He has frequently held the office of supervisor, and other local offices of his county, and is very generally respected.
from Pike County Atlas __________________________
PLEASANT VALE. The first settlers were John Wood, afterward Governor of Illinois, Willard Keyes and David Dutton, who came in 1821 and 1822, and settled on sections 16 and 22. Mr. Dutton was one of the county commissioners in 1822. Amos and Joseph Jackson, Major Hinckly, Parley Jackson, Levi Howard, Mr. Rice, Daniel Mitchell and Andrew Shearer were also very early settlers. Mr. Shearer “blazed out” the first road from where New Canton now is to the town of Washington, now Eldara. The first white child born in the township was Andrew J. Stanley, in 1823. The first death was Mary Jane McDaniel in the same year, and the first marriage was Peter J. Saxbury and Matilda Stanley in June, 1827. These early settlers endured many hardships and privations in preparing the way for future generations and future prosperity, which the people of today know not of. They ground their corn for food on a hand mill, and at times crushed it in a hominy block. The latter consisted of a hole burnt in a stump or block of wood, in which corn was placed and crushed with an iron wedge or mallet. In a short time, however, these odd and rude pieces of pioneer machinery were replaced by horse mills. These were generally situated eight or ten miles from tile settlers here, and although they were a great improvement upon the hand mills and the hominy blocks, the process of grinding would be considered very slow, indeed, by the people of this day and age of steam mills. The boys then went to mill on horseback, and seldom ever returned the same day. They would congregate under the old shed of the horse mill while waiting for their turn, and there make a fire and parch corn, tell jokes, etc. In this way they would pass the night very pleasantly without supper or sleep; for the supper could not be had, and there was no place to sleep, save on the sacks of corn. Then came the days of schools and churches. The first schoolhouse erected by the settlers was on section 22, in 1825. It was a log cabin with a clapboard door, puncheon floor, slab benches for seats and a huge fire place at one end of the room. The desks consisted of puncheons supported by pins in the wall the fire place had no chimney except above the roof; there were two doors, one at each side of the fire place. The fuel used consisted of huge logs, which were often dragged into the house by a horse coming in at one door and passing through and out at the other. Around and near the fire place there was tio floor except the ground, the puncheon floor covering the back part of the room only. The window consisted of a log removed from one side of the room, with greased paper pasted over the aperture. The first teacher here was a Mr. Rankin. The pioneer teacher was of the ox driver class, and generally carried a large “gad” in his hands, to maintain order in the school. Religious worship was early instituted in the first settlement of this township. The first sermon was preached by Rev. Mr. Hunter, of the Methodist denomination, and the first regularly organized religious society was also that of the Methodist. This society first worshiped in the house of Mr. Jackson, and afterward in the schoolhouse on section 22. The Mormons also figured largely as a church organization here some years later. They at one time had a society of about100 communicants, and erected a house of worship in the northwest part of the township. When the Nauvoo trouble came, however, they left this neighborhood to join their brethren at that place. The Mormon church was afterward moved to the Mississippi river, and there used for a warehouse. In those early days the wagons, for the most part, were rudely constructed by the settlers themselves, and consisted wholly of wood. The wheels were sawed from large sycamore trees, and holes were bored in the center, in which to insert the axletree. The farmers often used these wagons in going to mill, hauling their produce to market, and for a conveyance in which to attend church. In pioneer times, when there were scarcely any fences, and not land enough under cultivation to stop the great prairie fires which occurred in the fall of the year, they proved very disastrous to those living in the prairie. This township, consists, for the most part, of Mississippi river bottom land, a large portion of which is prairie. The grass on this bottom land grew to an enormous height, was very thick, and as high as a man’s head while on horseback. This grass was so heavy and thick that when the settlers went a-fishing in the sny they would hitch the team to a large hush or tree and drag it through the grass and mash it down, to make a road for them to pass over. In the fall of the year this luxuriant growth of grass would be set on fire by the Indians or hunters, and especially when the wind was high, would sweep resistlessly over the whole country, high and low, destroying a great dealof property. The pioneers early learned to guard against this destructive element by plowing wide strips of land around their premises and around their grain and hay. As soon as the alarm of fire was given, each settler would immediately begin to “back fire.” This was done by setting the grass on fire next outside the plowed strip, which would burn slowly and meet the rapidly advancing flames that came rolling in majestic grandeur from twenty to thirty feet in the air. This bottom land is now under a high state of cultivation. and since the completion of the levee has become one of the richest farming districts of America. The land lies between the sny and the Mississippi is tmber land, and as fertile as the prairie. It is now rapidly being cleared and improved. On the northwest quarter of section 29 is a salt spring, which at one time afforded considerable salt water. Mr. Keyes carried water from this spring to his home on section 22, a distance of a mile and a half, boiled it down, and made salt for family use and for his neighbors. As the bluffs extend from the northwest to southeast through the township, the upland is divided from the bottom land, forming a triangular section. This land is very rough and broken, and is underlaid with a heavy bed of limestone, and is consequently better adapted to the growing of small grain and fruit than to general farming. There is some excellent farming land along the course of Keyes creek, which extends along the eastern portion of the township. This creek was named in honor of Mr. Keyes, of whom we have spoken in the first part of this sketch. At one time this creek and others abounded in countless numbers of fish, and thus aided in furnishing the settlers with the necessaries of life. Although the pioneers were deprived of many things that are enjoyed at the present day, yet they always had abundance to eat and wear. If their store clothes or homespun gave way, they would simply construct clothing from the hides of animals. The first justice of the peace of this township was Major Hinckley. New Canton is the only town in Pleasant Vale township, and has nearly 6oo population. It was founded April 2, 1835, by Charles T. Brewster, Hiram Smith and Jesse Titsworth. New Canton has two churches, Methodist and Union, open to all denominations, but mostly used by the Christian society, flourishing Sunday schools; and Epworth League and Christian Endeavor are held at both churches, with large attendance and great interest. The first school was on sectioii 9, in 1832, and the first schoolhouse was built in 1836, a Mr. Hale being the first school master. The present school building was erected in 1866, with an addition a few years later. The principal and assistants are Miss Emma Gard, Misses Flossie Shearer, Clyde Temple and Edith Gard, and the gems of knowledge are cheerfully imparted to the young citizens that will take them. The town was incorporated in 1869. The present officers are: Abraham Likes, president; trustees, M. H. Fuller, L. Gard, Jr., H. A. Massie, H. Koeller, James Temple and D. Godfrey. The business of the town is three general stores, three grocery stores, one drug store, one jewelry store, one restaurant, one hotel, two barber shops, two blacksmiths, one wood worker, two grain elevators, one lumberyard, one livery and steed stable, two physicians, four notaries public, three magistrates, three constables, seven carpenters, five stone masons and plasterers, a postoffice with three rural routes, one bank, and the following secret societies: Masons, Woodmen, Knights of Pythias, Mutual Protective League, Pike County Mutual, Knights and Ladies of Security, Royal Neighbors, Loyal Americans, Mystic Circle and Grand Army of the Republic. A few years ago the town had a pork packing and milling industry, but they were smothered out like all modest plants have been in the rural districts. New Canton is on the branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, twenty-eight miles from Q uincy, Illinois, and sixteen miles from Louisiana, Missouri, and six miles from the Mississippi river. The town has telegraph and telephone connection with the outside world, also a band hall and an excellent cornet band, a billiard hall, two entertainment halls and a lodge hall, a town hall and a “cooler.” The town has had several destructive fires and numerous costly burglaries. The agricultural and live stock interests are well conducted by up-to-date and enterprising farmers, which makes the town one of the best shipping points in the county. Chicago and St. Louis are within a few hours run, and are the town’s principal markets. The old-time business men were John Webb, Shipman & Freeman, W. P. Freeman, William Turner, Hugh Barker, Warner & Blain, Perry Davis, Amos Morey, A. Shewe, Massie & Gray, Massie, Heidloff & Company. The business men of today are Atkinson & Son, H. Koeller, W. Ware, D. Godfrey, Dudley Brothers, H. A. Massie, Ed. Uppinghouse, Ellis Gard and G. W. Staff; and the physicians and surgeons, James Rainwater, George U. McConias. Joseph Jackson was the First postmaster, and John L. Morey the last one. The elevator men are Shaw-Garner Company, with Joseph McFarland, manager, and Werner Eleidloff. R. E. Funk is the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad agent.
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1833 Land Patent - 10/10/1833 - Charles Brewster purchased 80 acres of land in Pike County, IL. (Aliquot Parts: W1/2SE; Sec./Block: 22/; Township: 5-S; Range 6-W; Fract. Section: No; Meridan: 4th PM - 1815 Illinois; State: Illinois: County: Pike)
1840 Land Patent - 10/10/1840 - Charles T Brewster purchased 40 acres of land in Pike county, IL. (Aliquot Parts: NWNW; Sec./Block: 35/ ; Township: 5S; Range: 6W; Fract. Section: No; Meridan: 4th PM-1815 Illinois; State: IL; County: Pike)
1840 Land Patent - 11/3/1840 - with James Shipman, Charles T Brewster purchased 40 acres of land in Pike Co., IL. (Aliquot Parts: SENW; Sec./Block 26/; Township: 5-S; Range 6-W; Fract. Section: No; Meridan: 4th PM - 1815 Illinois; State: Illimoin; County; Pike)
1852 Land Patent - 9/1/1852 - Charles T Brewster purchased 40 acres of land in Pike Co., IL. (Aliquot Parts: NESE; Sec./Block:22/; Township: 5-S; Range: 6-W; Fract. Section: No; Meridan: 4th PM - 1815 Illinois; State: Illinois; County: Pike)
1854 & 1855 -Pleasant Vale, Pike County, Illinois, Superviosr (from History of Pike County, Illinois; by C.C. Chapman & CO, 1880)
1855 Census Illinois State - Charles Brewster; Township 5, Pike Co., ILL.; 2 males 10-20; 1 male 40-50; 1 female 10-20; 2 females 20-30; 1 femal 40-50
1858 Land Patent - 8/2/1858 - Charles T Brewster purchased 160 acres of land in Pike Co., IL. (Aliquot Parts: N1/2SW, SESW, NWSE; Sec./Block 5-S; Township: 5-S; Range 6-W; Fract. Section: No; Meridan: 4th PM - 1815 Illinois; State: Illinois; County: Pike)
1860 Census - C B (T) Brewster (48), Melvina (25), Mariah Percell (58), Francis Seeman (19), Morris Seeman (21), James Voriour (19), and Enis Percell (18) are in Pleasant Vale, Pike Co., IL. Francis is a servant, Morris and James farmhands. Mariah, Melvina’s mother helps with the housework.
1862 U.S. IRS Tax assensment list; Sept 1862-Apr 1863: Brewster Charles T of Pleasant Vale 50 hogs slaughtered; tax rate 10 cents; total tax $5.00.
1863 U.S. IRS Tax assensment list; May; Brewster Charles T; Pleasant Vale; Annual Income; $650; rate 3; Tax amount $19.53
1864 U.S. IRS Tax assensment list; January; Brewster Charles T of Pleasant Vale; 30 hogs slaughtered; tax rate 6 cents; total tax $1.80.
1864 U.S. IRS Tax assensment list; May; Brewster Charles T of Pleasant Vale; income; $1569; tax rate 3 ; class A; advalorum duty $47.07; total tax due $47.07
1865 Illinois State Census - Chas Brewster is living in Pleasant Vale, Pike county, IL. In the home are 2 white males and 3 white females.
1870 Census - Charles T Brewster (59), Melvina (36), Charles (9), Ann(6) and Minnie (4/12) are in Pleasant Vale Twp, Pike Co., IL. Charles Sr. is a farmer and a distiller.
1871 -Quincy Whig article:
Lamp Explosion and Narrow Escape (News Article) Date: 1871-10-28; Paper: Quincy Whig
Lamp Explosion and Narrow Escape - Mr. C. T. Brewster, residing about two miles north of New Canton, Pike county, Ills, was severely burned on Thursday evening, by the explosion of a gasoline lamp. His hands and face, and one sice of his body are badly burned, but it is believed he will recover. For a few moments the destruction of the house was threatened, but it was saved by the efforts of several men who happened to be present, with a convenient supply of water at hand.
The Vicinity (News Article) Date: 1871-11-07; Paper: Quincy Whig
Mr. Charles T. Brewster, of Pleasant Vale, Pike county, whose injury by burning from the explosion of a gasoline lamp was reported in the Whig a few days ago is in a fair way to recover.
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Charles T Brewster was a Pike County, Illinois supervisor in 1854 and 1855.
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New Canton The town of New Canton sits at the base of the Mississippi River bluffs in the flood plains in Pleasant Vale Township in northwestern Pike County. The first Europeans in the area were John Wood and Willard Keyes who made the first improvements in the area. Both Woods and Keyes would later move farther north, with Woods becoming the founder of Quincy and later Governor of Illinois. The early settlers faced many hardships, one of which was prairie fires which were set by the local tribes in the fall to drive game into traps. The farmers had to clear strips of land around their homes and fields and set backfires when the prairie fires threatened their homesteads. The town of New Canton was platted in 1835 by Charles T. Brewster, Hiram Smith, and Jesse Tittsworth and soon became a typical Illinois farming community with stores, blacksmith shops, flour mills and other similar businesses. During the Great Depression a Civilian Conservation Corps camp was located about a mile north of New Canton. Projects worked on were parks, levees, and the water system for Kinderhook. The Great River Road (IL-96) passes through New Canton and the town celebrates the local harvest with an annual fall festival. During the weekend of the Fall Color Drive there is cider and apple butter being made in the park. ___________________
BREWSTER
Another community in Pleasant Vale Township is Brewster, a hamlet lying southeast of New Canton on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. It is served by the postoffice at New Canton. The hamlet was named after Charles T. Brewster, early settler of the township.
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Among many other pioneers of Pike county we would mention, Henry R. Ramsey, Jacob Hodgen (father of Dr. John Hodgen), Charles T. Brewster, W. B. Grimes, D. B. Bush, Elias Kent Kane (nephew of the celebrated Elisha Kent Kane, the Arctic explorer), all of whom have been more or less prominent in the history of this county.
Charles T. Brewster, deceased, was born in New York in 1811; remained with his father until 1832, when he bought a pieced of land on Sec. 27 in this tp., and commenced farming; in 1849 he went overland with an ox team to California, and engaged successfully in gold mining for 2 years; returning home, he enlarged his farming operations, adding the business of stock-raising. He accumulated considerable property and was a very popular man in his neighborhood; always paid his hands god wages, and promptly; one man worked for him 30 years; was Supervisor many years, and held other local offices. In 1852 he married Miss Melvina Percell, and of their 8 children 3 are living,_Charles E., Anna M. and Minnie M. Mr. B. died Sept. 3, 1875. We present Mr. Brewster's portrait in this volume.
NEW CANTON This enterprising town is situated on secs. 9 and 16, Pleasant Vale township. It was founded April 2, 1835, by Charles T. Brewster, Hiram Smith and Jesse Tittsworth. It contains four stores, four blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, two carpenter shops, two boot and shoe shops, one paint shop, one cooper shop, one excellent flouring mill, two hotels, one livery stable, one lodge of the Independent Order of the Mutual Aid Society, which was established in February, 1880, with a membership of 25; and is the residence of four physicians. The present population of the town is about 350. There was a church erected here in 1866, which is known as the Union Church. It is not owned by any one denomination, but by the community in general. There are two Church organizations here,-- the Methodists and the Baptists. The former is a remnant of the original M. E. Church that was organized in pioneer days. The Baptists merged the old society into a new one in 1879. The music furnished by the young people during the hours of worship is excellent. Considerable interest is manifested here in his high art, and two choirs have been formed, both of which exhibit superior musical talent. The first school taught where the village now stands was in a dwelling house, by Mr. Hale in 1832. The first school-house was a log structure and was erected in 1836. The present building is a handsome frame structure, and was erected in 1866. The teacher at present is Prof. Warren D. Bigelow, formerly of Ohio.
(1880 History of Pike County, ILL by Charles M Chapman)
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In the old whig days of 1840, Harrison and Tyler were the candidates, and the cry was, "Tip- pecanoe and Tyler, too," log cabins and hard cider. Charles T. Brewster, Hiram Smith and others went from here to Springfield with ox teams, a miniature log cabin and several barrels of hard cider to attend a great whig gathering of that time. The trip took about two weeks. Now it could be made by rail in a few hours.
(from PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS BY CAPT. M. D. MASSIE, CHICAGO: THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO. ;1906)
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DAR Genealogical Research database give Utica, NY as the place of birth.
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Brewster School (historical) is a School in the state of (county of Pike), located at latitude - longitude coordinates (also known as lat-long or GPS coordinates) of N 39.61255 and W -91.07653. Brewster School (historical) is shown in the center of the topographic (topo) map, which is sourced from the United States Geographical Survey map USGS Rockport quad. The nearest major town is New Canton, IL. ___________________
Birth: Sep. 27, 1811 New York, USA Death: Sep. 3, 1875 Illinois, USA
Family links: Parents: Charles Brewster (1782 - 1833) Anne Tryon Brewster (1776 - 1833) Spouse: Melvina Purcell Ross (1834 - 1912)* *Calculated relationship Burial: Brewster Cemetery New Canton Pike County Illinois, USA Edit Virtual Cemetery info [?] Created by: Kathy Robinson Record added: Apr 27, 2013 Find A Grave Memorial# 109617451
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