Thomas C. BEACH, b. 1832, d. 1906
THOMAS C. BEACH.
Thomas C. Beach, a retired farmer living in
Oskaloosa, is a native of Illinois, his birth
having occurred in Jacksonville, January 11, 1832.
His parents were Caleb and Mary Ann (Hewett)
Beach, the former born in Newark, New
Jersey, in 1803, and the latter in New York
city, in 1807. Mrs. Beach was the daughter of
English parents, who first located in New York
city and finally removed to Lexington, Kentucky.
Her father was the Rev. John M.
Hewett, a Baptist minister. Her mother was a
member of the Christian church and became
one of the first representatives of that
denomination, having had the distinction of being
baptized by Alexander Campbell, the founder
of the church. Caleb Beach removed from New
Jersey to Lexington, Kentucky, where he
resided for five years, during which time he was
married. He afterward came to Illinois,
settling in Jacksonville, where his remaining days
were passed. He was a carriage-maker by
trade and always followed that pursuit in order
to provide for his family. His death occurred
in 1838, when he was only thirty-three years of
age. His wife long survived him and died
about 1890. In their family were five children:
Eliza G., Augustus H. and Middleton H., all
deceased; Thomas C., of this review, and
Robert C., who is an attorney at law, practicing in
Oakland, California. After losing her first
husband, Mrs. Beach became the wife of Joseph
Campbell and they had six children, namely
Susan M., who has passed away; Sally F., the
wife of of John Allen, a minister of the Christian
church at Spokane, Washington; Emma C.,
the widow of John M. Ewing and a resident of
Jacksonville, Illinois; Ella, Johanna and Mary
Bell, all deceased.
Thomas C. Beach attended the district
schools of Illinois and was reared on a farm
after reaching the age of ten years. He came
to Iowa in 1853, settling in Richland township,
Mahaska county. He was then twenty-one
years of age. The occupation to which be had
been reared he determined to make his life
work and he here purchased and entered land,
upon which he remained for thirteen years,
transforming it into a good farm. He next
bought a farm four and a half miles northwest
of Oskaloosa in what is now Garfield township,
residing thereon until 1902 when he retired to
the county seat, where he now resides in the
enjoyment of a well earned rest. In his farm
work he was always practical and his labors
brought his fields under a high state of
cultivation and enabled him to gather therefrom rich
harvests.
On April 17, 1853, Mr. Beach was married
to Miss Martha Campbell, who was born in
Scott county, Illinois, June 3, 1833, and died
February 3, 1904. She was a daughter of
Joseph and Sophia (Kennedy) Campbell. Her
father was a cabinet-maker and later a farmer.
Mrs. Beach belonged to the Christian church
and was a most estimable lady, having the
warm regard of many friends. By her
marriage she had become the mother of five
children: Mark W, a farmer living in Spring
Creek township, this county; Luke L., deceased;
Thomas C., living on the old homestead farm;
Joseph C., who resides in Spring Creek township; and Mary E., at home.
Mr. Beach, who was made a Mason about
1860, has attained high rank in the order and
is a member of the Mystic Shrine. He has long
been recognized as an active member of the republican party, whose opinions carry weight
in its local councils, while his labors in its
behalf have been effective and far reaching. He
was justice of the peace for six years and was
a member of the fifteenth general assembly.
After an interval of a number of years he was
again called to that office, representing Mahaska county in the
twenty-fourth general assembly. He was interested in much constructive
legislation and each question which came
up for settlement received his earnest consideration, while his support of every measure for
which he voted was that of a public-spirited
citizen who places the welfare of the commonwealth before partisan
measures and the general good before self-advancement.
-------------------------------
from Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa by Manoah Hedge
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1906
Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy
Iowa Genealogy
Home Page