Frank Beach Biography

Frank Beach

Frank Beach, living retired in Dumont after many years of close connection with agricultural interests of Franklin and Butler counties, was born in Peoria county, Illinois, December 26, 1842. He was reared upon a farm in that locality and acquired his education in the district schools. In 1862 he enlisted in Com-pany K, Eighty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was sent with his regiment to Louisville, Kentucky, later taking part in the campaign after General Bragg. He was honorably discharged on account of disability and returned to Illinois, where after recovering his health he engaged in farming for two years. In 1866 he sold his land in Peoria county and moved to Iowa, making the journey with teams and coming directly to Butler county, where he located on an eighty acre tract of wild land, which he
had previously purchased. Soon afterward, however, he went to Franklin county, where he rented land, operating this for one year and at the same time breaking the soil upon his property in Madison township and building upon it a comfortable home. Afterward he took up his residence upon this place and while carrying forward the work of its development engaged in breaking land for his neighbors, receiving as a compensation for this service the first two crops grown upon the farm. Mr. Beach afterward sold his land in Madison township and bought two hundred and forty acres in Franklin county which he broke, cleared and improved, from time to time adding to his holdings until he
accumulated four hundred acres of valuable land, which he still owns. He engaged in general farming and stock-raising upon this property until 1908, when he rented the tract and moved into Dumont, where he has since lived retired. He has valuable property interests here, owning a number of residence lots upon which he has erected two dwellings.

On the 29th of December, 1864, Mr. Beach was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Elsey, a native of Essex, England, and a
daughter of Robert Elsey, who emigrated to America and located at Rome, New York, where he passed away. His wife survived him and later moved to Elgin, Illinois, where Mrs. Beach was reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Beach became the parents of four children: Lydia, who died at the age of fourteen months; Lillian, the wife of William Brandenberg, a merchant of Kesley; Frank W., who lives at home, and Emily C, the deceased wife of Fred Foote, by whom she had two children.

Mr. Beach has given his political allegiance to the republican party since he cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He has been very active in public affairs and has been honored by his fellow citizens by election to various positions of public trust and responsibility, his official record being characterized by the accomplishment of a great deal of important work. He was for four years assessor of Madison township and while a resident of Franklin county was identified with the work of the school board for a quarter of a century. He served for two years as justice of the peace in Franklin county and for three years in Dumont. He has been a delegate to numerous county conventions both in
Butler and Franklin counties. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Dumont, and Mr. Beach is a charter member of the Dumont lodge of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to the Grand Army post at Ackley. He has been well known in this part of Iowa for many years, and his integrity and ability have gained him the respect and confidence of all who have had business or personal relations with him. He is an own cousin of General McPherson of military fame and moreover, he, himself, is entitled to a place in this volume as a veteran of the
Civil war, to whom the country owes a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid.