Brewin, John

BREWIN, PRUNDRELL, BUTTERS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/21/2008 at 11:40:51

BREWIN, John
Farmer and stock raiser; Sec. 7; P. O. Prairie City; was born in Leicestershire, England, August 6, 1818; came to this country in 1849; has 196 acres of land, valued at $8,000. Married Alice PRUNDRELL; she was born in Leicestershire, England, Nov. 5, 1816; mother of nine children-Eleza Ann, John, Sarah, Alice, Charles, Mary, Mattie and Emma; emigrated to this country in 1849, to Trenton, N. J.; lived there nine years, thence to Peoria Co., Ill., lived there seven years, thence to Jasper Co., in 1865; came with teams from Illinois; camped out; when they arrived had to live in wagons five weeks, until he built a shanty; put up a frame building; was almost impossible for him to get lumber; went to Pella for a load, which cost him $50 for 1000 feet of common rough boards; built his house the same year he came here; had to live in it the first Winter without plastering; cracks got so large from shrinkage that he had to calk them with rags to keep snow from blowing through; could cross the prairie from here to Prairie City without striking a fence; had when he got here six horses, three wagons and $800; has raised thirty bushels of wheat on an acre, probably as large or the largest ever raised on the prairie; has broken more prairie than any man in the township. There was one store in the city kept by J. BUTTERS. Mrs. B. says she could carry the whole contents in her apron. ~ "The History of Jasper County" (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878), 636.