Alexander Brewster

As printed in 1881

ALEXANDER BREWSTER, President Brewster Coal Co., Akron; was born in Augusta Township, Oneida Co., N. Y.,Sept. 10, 1808, on his father's farm, and is the youngest of six children, born to Stephen and Lydia (Bellows) Brewster, who were natives of Connecticut. Mr. Brewster traces his ancestors back to Rev. William Brewster, one of the Pilgrims who came over in the Mayflower. Stephen Brewster, the father of our subject, was born May 4, 1770; in 1797 he moved to New York, with his wife and one-child, and, in 1811, he came to Ohio. He bought 160 acres of land in what is now Coventry Township, and then returned to New York, and the next year brought out his family. They started in June, and came by ox team, and were thirty-three days on the way, landing in Coventry July 4, 1812. His cabin was the fourth built in the township, and was the proverbial log cabin. They lived here until 1815, when they- were enabled to build a better one. He was a carpenter, and worked at his trade, building many of the houses of the early settlers. He died July 4, 1858, at the advanced age of 88 years; his wife died in the fall of 1842, aged 71. Our subject lived at home until of age, receiving a limited education at the district schools. He learned the carpenter's ti'ade with his father. He was married Jan. 9, 1830, to Miss Margaret Ann Kinney, a native of Ontario Co., N. Y., and who came to Springfield, Ohio, about the year 1813. She was the youngest of three children, born to Ephraim and Mary (Danes) Kinney, natives of New

York. They settled in Springfield Township in 1813, where they lived until their death; he died about 1820, and she in 1861. IMr. Brewster now owns the place on which they settled. Mrs. Brewster, the wife of subject, died in November, 1854, leaving five children, four of whom are living, viz., Alfred A., General Agent of the Brewster Coal Co.; Austin K., Secretary and Treasurer of the Brewster Coal Co.; Louisa, now Mrs. J. F. Meeham, of Akron; Mar M., now Mrs. Russell Kent, of Akron. Mr. Brewster married a second time in December, 1857, to Mrs. Brown, formerly Minerva Dyer, a native of Cuyahoga Co., Ohio; she died June 27, 1873. In September, 1877, he married Mrs. Chamberlain, former Luc\' Jane Gale, a native of Massachusetts, who came to Ohio with her parents in the year 1825. ]\Mr. B., after marriage, followed farming in Coventry until 1 848. Coal having, in the meantime, been discovered on his farm, he turned his attention to mining, and, in 1849, shipped over 1,000 tons to Cleveland via canal. In 1850, he left his mines in competent hands, and went to California overland, his object being mining. He remained in the land of gold but a short time, and returned home via Panama and New Orleans, arriving home in 1851. He prosecuted his coal mining, and, about the year 1865, formed a stock company, of which he is the President, the capital being $100,000. He and his sons subscribed the stock. They built a railroad from the mines to the basin of the Ohio Canal, a distance of five miles, which cost about $120,000, the rolling stock making it about $150,000. They mine from 30,000 to 60,000 tons of coal per year, and own docks in Cleveland for the purpose of handling coal, and sell as high as 200,000 tons per annum. In July, 1872, Mr. B. moved to Akron, where he has since resided. In 1871, he visited California, in company with his eldest daughter.

As printed in History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.