People

Edward W Brewster

Edward W. Brewster was an early settler of Kane County, Illinois, who arrived in the Sandusky Precinct in 1839. He is notable both as a pioneer of that area and, according to later accounts, as a figure who sustained a relationship to the county's early schools comparable to the role Father Clark played in its early churches. A creek in the Sandusky precinct bears the Brewster family name, suggesting the family's lasting imprint on the local landscape.

Known Activities

Brewster settled along the old army trail in the Sandusky precinct, reportedly arriving in 1839. (Source: Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904)) His son, Charles Brewster, built and operated a saw-mill in the area during the early settlement period — an enterprise that would have been essential to the growth of a frontier community dependent on timber for construction.

The 1904 Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County describes Brewster's role in relation to county schools in terms that suggest active advocacy and support for early public education, though the precise nature of that involvement is not fully detailed in the surviving account. The comparison to Father Clark's influence on local churches implies a foundational, possibly informal, organizing or sponsoring role rather than an official administrative position.

Timeline

Year	Event
1839	Settled in Sandusky Precinct on the old army trail
circa 1839+	Son Charles Brewster built and operated a saw-mill in the precinct
—	Brewster's Creek named in recognition of the family's presence in the area

## Family

Charles Brewster — Son of Edward W. Brewster; built and operated a saw-mill in the Sandusky precinct during the early settlement era. (Source: Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904))

Sources

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904). Available at: https://archive.org/details/historicalencycl00unse#offset-3908247