William (Virginia Bill) Covington who, after a disappointing venture in the Fraser River gold fields, had drifted into Okanogan County in the 1860s, opened a trading post near the north end of present day Brewster bridge. Convington claimed to come from a "first Family of Virginia" though his alleged liquor traffic with the Indians, which was illegal, seemed less then true.

Covington’s Virginia City attracted the usual buisnesses, restaurant, saloon, livery stable, blacksmith shop, and eventually a hotel from materials torn from the unused Swansea Hotel and two abandoned saloons at Conconully.

A half mile north of Virginia City a better ferry landing and safer tie up for a floating steamboat wharf were located on John Bruster’s homestead. There, yet another town was platted. Thirty two head of horses pulled Gamble’s Hotel to the new site . This new site became known as Brewster.