Zion Episcopal Church

Previous to the lavins; out of tlie town a number of pioneers had located in the vicinit3^ Among them Philip Atlvinson, supposed to have been the first settler in the township. On section 10 N. of range 6, were Asahel and Roswell Walker, James Adams, and Daniel and A. W. Harkness. The first house in Charleston was built of logs, on the northwest corner of Knoxville and Galena Avenues, by A. Woniger, in 1836, who opened a grocery store in tlie room below, and made his residence in the room above. The same year Jacob Vanhouton, who was the first postmaster, built a log house on the northwest corner of Knoxville Avenue and Washington Street, better known as the old Wolcott house. In the township and vicinitj' many new settlers arrived in that year, among them were John F. and N. H. Wiley, Levi Jennings, L. L. Booth, John Tucker, Isaac Cutter, T. N. Wells, Daniel Simmons, Isaac Harrison, and L. L. Guyor, who succeeded Jacob Vanhouton as postmaster, and in the following year built a log house on lot 7 in block 17, in which lie opened a general store for supplying tlie inhabitants of the surrounding country with dry goods, groceries, etc., keeping bachelor's hall in the upper room, which was freely thrown open for preaching the gospel to any pioneer minister who might travel on the circuit. Those who settled in the west half of township 10, north of range 6, east (now Jubilee) in 1836, were the Powells, the Sniders, Shanes, James Berrian, the Martins, the Johnsons, and William Camphor, who was subsequently elected to represent Peoria county in the legislature, Daniel Stansburry, now living in Brimfield, at the age of 88 years; also Jacob Wells, who started the first blacksmith shop and opened the first coal bank in the vicinity, being on the northwest quarter of section 18.

Passage source: The History of Peoria County, Illinois. Containing a History of the Northwest--history of Illinois--history of the County, Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc., Etc. .., published 1880.

In 1830, the Hon. Wm. Thompson witli his wife and two (laup;hters removed from Northampton, Mass.. to Peoria county. He was born in Brimfield Mass., on the 23d day of Fel)ruary, 1786. Throu;.;li a long life Mr. Thompson enjoyed the esteem and confidence of all classes of the community. For four yeai-s he was a member of the Senate of Illinois, also a member of the convention to alter the constitution of the State in 1^47. He died at Brimfield on the 24th d.ay of February, 18o0, aged 64. He married Miss Eliza S. White of Chesterfield, Mass., who survived her husband twenty-seven years.

Passage source: The History of Peoria County, Illinois. Containing a History of the Northwest--history of Illinois--history of the County, Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc., Etc. .., published 1880.

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Read the whole chapter on Brimfield Township - 12,594 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.