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a.
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Note: N105 The photo attached to this record was among the old papers handed down in the family. The back had “Charles Brewster” written on it. It was assumed to be the photo of this Charles Brewster. However, photography was only being developed in the 1830s and not widely available until long after Charles died in 1833. This photo may be of Charle Tryon Brewster, although the subject doesn’t look like the known photo of Charles Tryon Brewster.
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Connecticut, Hale Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629-1934:
“Brewster Charles Atlas, Ill Formerly of Lebanon, Conn. Died June 17 age 51”
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"Charles Brewster, wheelwright, who had served his apprenticeship with Gurdon Huntington of Rome, associated himself with Abijah Thomas, but had failed, and was gone by 1810."
(from The Pioneers of Utica, p.244; by Moses Mears Bagg; 1877)
Another line that I examined while searching for Levi was that of John Thomas of Marshfield, MA. He is one of the lines researched in the book "Thomas Families of Plymouth County MA", by John Marshall Raymond, 1980, an excellent piece of work. J141, Abijah Thomas, b. Lebanon CT 17 Feb 1742, m. 15 Oct 1761 Rachel McCaul/McCall, had two sons who went to Utica. A partial quote from "The Pioneers of Utica" by M.M. Bagg, page 182:
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"Into the growing hamlet there came in the course of the year [1804] two brothers from Connecticut and with them there came one who has generally passed as a third brother, but who was in reality a cousin, and the brother-in-law to each of them, each having married one of his sisters. These were Abijah and Anson Thomas and their relative, B. W. Thomas ... the two former were sons of Abijah Thomas Sr. of Lebanon, Windham county, Conn., who, at the age of eighty-eight, was gathered to his fathers ... Their mother, Rachel McCall, also born in Lebanon, though of Scotch descent ..."
Abijah Jr. arrived in Utica in 1803, B.W. Thomas in 1804 and Anson, who first went to Richmond VA came to Utica in the fall of 1804.
Following the clue that B.W. Thomas was a cousin and the brother of the wives of Abijah and Anson, his first name was probably Briggs, son of J143 Amos and his wife Betty Brewster, whose daughters Lydia and Anna married Abijah and Anson respectively. J141 Abijah and J143 Amos were both sons of J36 Amos and his wife Ruth White.
So it seems there was a family connection between Charles Brewster and Abijah Thomas. Betty Brewster Thomas was Charles’ aunt, and sister of his father, Ichabod.
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Pike County IL
Chambersburg Twp.
This township lies in the extreme northeastern part of the county. It is bounded upon the north by Versailles tp., Brown Co., on the west by Perry tp., on the south by Flint, and on the east by the Illinois river. Along the river is much bottom land, whole sections of which are entirely useless for agricultural purposes. Both the north and south forks of McGee’s creek traverse this township: they join on section 2T, and empty into the Illinois river about a mile above Naples, which is on the opposite shore, in Scott county.
The first pioneers who came to this township were James Wells, Samuel Atchison, a Mr. Brewster and a Mr. Van Woy. They came in 1822.
The privations of the pioneer families in this township were in some respects very great, cut off as they were from almost all social, religious, educational and commercial advantages. Of course they enjoyed these in a limited degree. The first settlers were people who valued greatly such privileges, and though they were for many years without school-houses and churches, easily found the facilities for enjoying themselves, both socially and religiously. The greatest privations arose from the want of the means of communication with the outside world. The absence of railroads, or even good wagon roads, rendered the locality almost inaccessible to postal and commercial facilities, and traveling for other than business purposes was out of the question. Most of the original pioneers are represented here by descendants, but they, with few exceptions, have passed to a country that is always new, where, however, the trials of pioneer life are unknown.
The first settlers were all farmers, after a fashion now unknown. They raised a little corn and a few vegetables, and, like their red neighbors, depended largely upon their rifle for subsistence. Their houses were but little superior to those of the Indians, being merely little cabins erected only with the help of the ax and perhaps an auger. No locks, nails or any other article of iron entered into their construction, but such devices as could be wrought out on the ground by the use of the tools named and of such materials as the locality afforded. The only boards used for any purpose were such as could be hewed out of logs.
“The first pioneers who came to this township were James Wells, Samuel Atchison, a Mr. Brewster and a Mr. Van Woy. They came in 1822.”
(1880 History of Pike County, ILL by Charles M Chapman)
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Brewster - Ross Cemetery in Pleasant Vale Township
Charles Brewster
Birth Date:
Death Date: June 17 1833
Tombstone Inscription: Aged 51y, 6m, 2d listed with Matty Brewster assume his wife. (note: Matty was not his wife, but, perhaps daugher Mary.)
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married at Utica, N. Y., ANNA, daugh-
ter of William TRYON of Farmington, Conn., born there, and died
in Pike County, Ill., d. August 16, 1844. He died in Pike County,
June 17, 1833. (Note: The marriage was unlikely to have taken place in Utica. Jon Harden’s research gives West Avon Congregational Church, CT)
Removed from New York State to Indiana in 1817, and to Morgan Co., Illinois, in 1821 where he and his family lived one year when they moved to Pike Co Ill and made improvements on the North fork of McGee creek in Chambersburg Twp. About two years later they moved to Atlas Ill where they remained a year. when they moved to Section 7 where he purchased land and made improvements. Later he purchased land in Section 27, Pleasant Vale Twp near New Canton Pike Co Illinois. where he moved his family and engaged in farming and stock raising until his decease.
Children, born in N. Y. State, Gates, Genesee Co., N. Y.:
Lucy Ann, b. 1809.
Charles Tryon, b. Sept. 27, 1811.
Gustavus, d. in infancy.
Ichabod, d. in infancy.
Mary, d. Sept. 12, 1834, 4 yrs.
Ref. auth. — L. E. Brewster's MS.; family papers.
(from - Brewster Genealogy p 292)
Moved from the state of New York to Indiana, in 1817, where he remained three years, when he left his family and traveled to Morgan county, Illinois, where he located land and built a house. He then returned to Indiana, and built keel boats, in which he moved his family by water, to their new home, in 1821. He remained in Morgan county one year, and then moved over to Pike county, and made improvements on the north fork of McGee creek, in Chambersburg township. There he remained about two years and then sold out and moved to Atlas, where he remained one year, and then moved six miles south, where he had purchased land and made improvements, on section 7. There he raised two crops, after which he sold his improvements, and moved to section 27, in Pleasant Vale township, where he had purchased land. There he remained engaged in farming and raising stock, until June 17, 1833, where he died.
There was a cholera epidemic in central Illinois in 1832.
History of Pleasant Vale:
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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New Canton
Population (2010)
359
History
Quincy founders John Wood and Willard Keyes pitched tents in this area when they first arrived from the East, but Charles T. Brewster, Hiram Smith, and Jesse Tittsworth get credited for starting the village in 1835. The government sold land in the township for $1.25 an acre; many early residents raised the money to purchase parcels by hunting and trapping the plentiful game in the area (like raccoons), often earning enough to buy 160 acres.
Snakes were also plentiful but far less popular. The nearby bluffs were great habitat for rattlesnakes, but local residents weren’t too fond of them, so they basically wiped them out. In spring when the snakes were still sluggish (they brumate), residents poked long poles with bearded hooks into their dens, pulling them out by the hundreds and killing them.
Charles Brewster, one of New Canton's founders
Charles Brewster, one of New Canton’s founders
Joseph Jackson founded a village called Pleasant Vale that is just northeast of the current village of New Canton. Pleasant Vale got a post office in 1827 and a formal village plat in 1836. The village was on a major route, so it had a stagecoach stop, as well. When Mormons fled to Illinois from Missouri, some moved to the area around Pleasant Vale. In 1841, their church counted nearly 170 members, but they left when the main community of Mormons were forced out of Nauvoo. The news for Pleasant Vale didn’t get much better after that. When the railroad came through the area, they chose New Canton for the station instead of Pleasant Vale. In 1872, the post office as moved to New Canton and the following year Pleasant Vale dissolved.
Folks at New Canton, on the other hand, must have been feeling pretty good about their prospects. The village incorporated in 1869, which is about the time the railroad came through. Many of the early residents came from the East. A few of them worked in river occupations, like William A. Davis, who really got around. He was a flat-boat pilot for 20 years and claimed to have traveled 4,000 miles on the Mississippi.
New Canton grew into a robust small town, with the usual businesses: several stores, blacksmiths, wagon shops and carpenters, a boot and shoe shop, a cooper, a paint store, a flour mill, two hotels, a livery, and four doctors. In 1880, its 424 residents supported two churches, one Methodist and one Baptist, and two choirs. The village was a rural shopping destination, as area folks shopped at the general stores and lumber yard and ate at the restaurant. For entertainment, residents might enjoy a show from a respected cornet band, shoot some pool, or hang out at one of the secret societies (Masons, Mystic Circle, Knights and Ladies of Security, Royal Neighbors, Loyal Americans, etc.).
Like many rural communities, New Canton has been gradually losing population as farms have consolidated into larger operations and younger generations have moved away in search of better economic opportunities. New Canton’s population peaked before World War II with just over 500 residents. New Canton today has fewer than 400 permanent residents and very little industry of its own.
http://mississippivalleytraveler.com/new-canton/
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Chambersburg is the only community in Chambersburg Township, the popu-
lation of which is 392. First settlers of the township were James Wells, Samuel
Atchison, a Mr. Brewster and a Mr. Van Woy. All of them arrived in 1822. Their
first homes here were of log construction.
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Birth:
Jan. 6, 1782
Lebanon
New London County
Connecticut, USA
Death:
Jun. 17, 1833
Pike County
Illinois, USA
Family links:
Spouse:
Anne Tryon Brewster (1776 - 1833)
Children:
Charles Tryon Brewster (1811 - 1875)*
*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# 109615923
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“Tryon, Anna of Farmington, m. Charles Brewster of Utica, Dec 29, 1806 Vol 3 p 68”
(Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920)
Name:
Anna Tryon
Marriage Date:
29 Dec 1806
Marriage Place:
Avon, Connecticut, USA
Spouse Name:
Charles Brewster
Volume Title:
Volume 003 Avon
(Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920)
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