USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 30
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BENJAMIN F. BEAZELL.
Benjamin F. Beazell, formerly the efficient postmaster of Chilli- cothe and today closely and intimately associated with business inter- ests of the city, was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, September 13, 1864. He is a son of Samuel W. and Mary Jane (Van Kirk) Beazell, residents of Chillicothe.
In the acquirement of an education Benjamin F. Beazell attended the district school in Rich Hill township and later entered the North- western University, at Evanston, Illinois, from which he was gradu- ated in the classical department in 1893. After laying aside his books he purchased the Chillicothe Tribune, which he published and edited for ten years. During the five years of his service as postmaster he made a record which it would be hard to surpass in point of things ac- complished. During his term of office the rural free delivery system was established here, the city delivery and clerical forces were in- creased and salaries raised in practically every department, and many important improvements made in standards and methods. When he left the position the postoffice was paying in increased salaries and other appropriations over sixteen thousand dollars more annually than was done before he assumed control, this fact alone indicating clearly some- thing of the force of his administrative and executive ability and his business progressiveness. Mr. Beazell has for some time past been en- gaged in the real-estate business in Chillicothe and has secured a large and representative clientage, for he is known to possess a compre-
357
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
hensive knowledge of land values and a keen general business dis- crimination which makes this knowledge doubly effective.
On the 4th of May, 1898, Mr. Beazell was married in Chillicothe to Miss Bertha A. French, a daughter of David A. and Mary Jane (Weaver) French, residents of that city. To Mr. and Mrs. Beazell were born three children: Mary E .; Bertha Ruth, who died when five months of age; and Samuel D. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and in their upright, straightforward lives exemplify the doctrines in which they believe.
Fraternally Mr. Beazell is prominent in the Masonic order, hold- ing membership in Chillicothe Lodge, No. 333, A. F. & A. M., of which he is a past master; in Royal Arch Chapter, No. 30; Chilli- cothe Council, No. 28; Paschal Asylum, No. 32, K. T .; and in the Order of the Eastern Star. He is also a member of Chillicothe Council No. 48, of the United Commercial Travelers. Politically he has always been a stanch republican and as such made the race for congress, but in 1912 gave active and intelligent support to the pro- gressive or "Bull Moose" movement, having charge of the state pro- gressive speakers bureau. All during his life he has been interested in those projects which affect the general business and political devel- opment and has been in many ways closely associated with the public welfare and with business progress. He is therefore widely rec- ognized as one of the representative citizens of Chillicothe and has attained a place of prominence in Livingston county.
FRANK E. BURGESS.
A native son of Livingston county, Frank E. Burgess is prom- inent among the younger agriculturists of Jackson township, where he owns a valuable farm of one hundred and thirty acres located on section 5. Born in this township on September 2, 1871, he is a son of Dr. C. W. and Jennie F. (Price) Burgess, the father coming to this county in 1867, from Wayne, Kennebec county, Maine, and set- tling in Chillicothe. ` He here engaged in the real-estate business, following that occupation for about one year before coming to Jack- son township, where he taught school for a period of four years, his duties connecting him for that whole time with the same school and district. He subsequently removed to Harrison county, Missouri,
358
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
where he engaged in practice near Bethany, being located there since 1872, making his home on a farm seven miles from that place. The mother of our subject passed away shortly after his birth, on Decem- ber 12, 1871, finding her last resting place at Trenton, Grundy county. Her girlhood home was near Zanesville, Ohio, and for a" number of years she followed the profession of teaching in parts of Grundy and Livingston counties. Her family was an old English one, coming to the United States among the first to settle here, in 1619, and the great-grandfather of our subject on the paternal side was one of those patriots who participated in the War of 1812 and defended Bunker Hill, holding rank as a commissioned officer at that time. Previous to the war he had been a sea captain and traveled around Cape Horn to the Pacific ocean. He was a remarkable man in many ways and reached an age of one hundred and one years.
Frank E. Burgess acquired his education in the district schools of Harrison county, subsequently rounding out his early learning by a course in Grand River College and the Missouri Wesleyan College, which institution he left at the age of twenty-one years. He then for one year rented a farm before acquiring eighty acres of land, which he still own's and, later adding another fifty acres, he now pursues thereon general farming, specializing in stock-raising and meeting with gratifying success along both lines of endeavor. He erected upon his farm a handsome residence, a substantial barn and made other improvements which have greatly enhanced the value of the property. Modern implements and machinery are to be found on his place, which facilitate the heavy farm work and improve the productivity of the soil. Scientific and progressive in his methods, he is a student of soil and climatic conditions and has by experiments become a factor in raising agricultural standards here.
On Christmas day of 1895, Mr. Burgess was married in Jackson township to Miss Nellie L. Gee, a daughter of S. M. and Eleanor (Robertson) Gee, both of whom are highly esteemed residents of Jackson township, where the father owns a valuable farm of three hundred acres. The parents only recently celebrated their golden wed- ding and the occasion was an occurrence of importance in Jackson township, no friend or neighbor failing to extend felicitations and good wishes on their day of honor. Mr. and Mrs. Burgess are the parents of three children: Lillian J., Charles W. and Wilbur H., all attending district school.
Mr. and Mrs. Burgess are members of the Baptist church, in the work of which they take an active and helpful interest and of which
ANDREW MCCOSKRIE
359
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
he serves as one of the deacons. In his political affiliations he is a republican and, believing in the efficacy of the principles this party represents, gives thereto his stanch support. An official honor has come to him in his election to the position of school trustee and this distinction is well merited, for he always has been a champion of the cause of education. Successful and prosperous, there is none who could grudge Mr. Burgess the position he holds as one of the sub- stantial men of his neighborhood, more so, because he not only seeks to further his own interests but readily participates in those measures intended for the general benefit and advancement.
ANDREW McCOSKRIE. .
Andrew McCoskrie, father of Lewis McCoskrie, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume, and son of Isaac Mc- Coskrie, received but a limited education until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he attended school at Edinburg, Missouri. Quakerlike, he took no part in the Civil war. Andrew McCoskrie was one of the '49ers who crossed the plains to California. He made the start from his Missouri home on the 15th of April, 1849, with a team of six mules, the harness having been made by his father, and the awl is still in possession of the family. The team consisted of six spirited mules. There were five men in the party, and they were well supplied with camp equipage and eatables for the long journey. They crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph. Until they reached the plains their trip was uneventful, although meeting many Indians. Teams en route to the gold fields were numerous. Many of the gold hunters were attacked with cholera on the way, and scores of them died, as was indicated by the fresh made graves along the trail. On the divid- ing ridge the travelers were accompanied for several days by six hun- dred United States cavalry and two hundred government wagons. In the region where the antelope were numerous it was sport to watch the cavalry corral the wild animals, some of which they killed. Habi- tations on the route were few. From St. Joseph on the Missouri river to Fort Carney, a distance of three hundred miles, not a house was seen. From there to Fort Laramie and up the Big Platte river many herds of buffalo were met with and chasing them was great sport. Prairie dogs were plentiful and, as the little grandson says of his grandfather's account, it was great fun to watch the men shoot Vol. II-20
360
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
at them with small arms. When one was shot the others would carry the dead dog down the hole and deliver it to the "dog undertaker."
Many tribes of Indians were met with after passing Fort Laramie, and they were at war with each other, but friendly with the emigrants. After crossing the Black Hills their route lay between the North and South Platte rivers. A raft of logs was made to ferry the wagons
over the latter stream, while men and mules swam across. The caravan then wended its way on to the summit of the Rocky mountains by way of Willow Springs and Independence Rock in a beautiful val- ley, thence up the Sweet Water by the Devil's Gate, then crossing the summit to the Little Sandy river, the first stream encountered flowing down to the Pacific ocean. Then the travelers crossed the desert to Green river, a distance of fifty-two miles, thence by way of the Soda and Steamboat Springs, and on through Thousand Springs valley where they found both hot and cold springs. From there they con- tinued their way to the Humboldt river and on to a place called the "Sink," where they found plenty of grass, which borders on the Great Sandy desert and extends to Carson river, a distance of ninety-five miles. On this route over the desert many deserted wagons were seen. The journey was continued on up the Carson river to the foot of the Sierra mountains, where it was necessary to double teams, having twelve mules to one wagon, while as many as twenty-two yoke of cattle were used to haul some of the wagons to the summit. There was no grass on the summit, only a few scattering scrub oaks from which the boughs were cut for forage for the mules. Thence they descended down the mountain to Weaver creek and into California. None of the party were miners. Finding holes where other miners had prospected the men would scratch around with a knife or spoon, get the dirt pulverized, blow out the dust and then look intently for the glittering gold. If any was found the lucky one would make a great outcry and all the rest would come running to view the find. At first honesty and confidence prevailed, but strategy and trickery soon succeeded and then every man was for himself.
When this band left their Missouri homes there were five of them, but when they reached the gold fields only three remained. One died of cholera in St. Joseph and one was drowned in Carson river. The party were five months making the trip. The first winter was spent on Weaver creek and the second on Deer creek. The little party mined in nearly every section of east California. It was a rough, wild life. Some days not more than twenty dollars were panned out while at other times some two hundred dollars would be realized.
361
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
After two years Andrew McCoskrie sold his mining interest and sailed from San Francisco for home, going by way of Apulcho, Mexico, thence by pack train to the Isthmus of Panama and down the Chagris river to Panama City, where he and his partner shipped for the United States and home. When reaching Charleston, South Carolina, the vessel was considered unsafe to complete the voyage, but by a vote of the passengers the captain agreed to undertake it, and all landed safely in New York. From there he went down the St. Lawrence to Buffalo, thence to Cincinnati by rail and by water to Brunswick, Missouri, and from there walked home, a distance of almost fifty miles.
Another trip Andrew McCoskrie made was in 1863, to Salt Lake City, Utah. On this trip he was accompanied by Joe McDarnold, Dick McDarnold, Pete Sutliffe (who was killed en route by Marion Lovell), Crockett Austin, Marion Lovell, Felix Comstock, Alfred Stone, Almon Butler, William Butler, Dr. Flint and family, of Balti- more, a Mr. Thomas and son of Indiana, and an old man named Smith and his two sons from Illinois and Warren M. Hudgins and family. Many of these people are well known in Livingston county.
INDEX
Adams, C. F. .216
Allen, Everett .. 166
Allen, E. C. .341
Donovan, J. W. 55
Dorney, Maurice.
198
Dowell, E. R.
207
Dusenberry, E. A. 27
Dusenberry, Jo
306
Edgerton, W. W
20
Edmundson, C. J.
III
Elliott, F. B .. 47
England, J. T 310
Evans, G. A. 151
Bassett, G. H.
.160
Beasley, T. C ..
5
Beauchamp, J. W
I27
Beazell, B. F.
356
Benson, H. K.
. 152
Bernard, G. A.
77
Black, J. F. ·333
Bonderer, Herman
.209
Bonderer, L. F
40
Boon, W. H.
61
Boucher, Elizabeth
. 320
Bowe, C. E.
. 323
Boyle, J. L ..
136
Bradford, David.
.315
Brookshier, J. D.
.324
Brown, Hiram
. 203
Browning, S. A.
.125
Broyles, B. F. 96
Burgess, F. E.
.357
Bushong, O. C.
.226
Carder, F. F.
185
Chapman, L. A. 62
Clay, Mrs. A. M. 295
Coen, Salathiel.
. 248
Cole, Jennie
.302
Cole, J. H.
.170
Cole, J. M.
.157
Cole, Willis.
.297
Connor, F. M
351
Cusick, J. H ..
57
Davis, J. M.
.256
Decker, J. M. . I21
Depler, A. J.
. 249
Devaul, R. W.
.266
Fair, W. H ..
108
Foreman,
G. M
58
French, D. A.
92
Gardner, G. A
284
Gee, S. M ..
175
Gibson, A. E.
37
Girdner, M. P.
38
Girdner, W. M.
211
Gladieux, Joseph.
.247
Graham, H. W
259
Gregg, M. C.
.219
Griffith, J. J.
353
Griffiths, T. M.
119
Hargrave, Harriet
244
Hargrave, J. C.
13
Harris, S. L ..
268
Hawkins, Reuben
229
Haynes, J. T.
91
Hedrick, A. J. 19
Herriman, E. ]
241
Herrold, J. W
I18
Hill, J. E ..
296
Hinnen, J. J.
68
Hooker, Z. T
105
Hopper, J. S.
305
Hosier, J. P.
.142
Hoyt, C. T.
340
Hoyt, J. H.
.189
Hudgins, Gilbert
66
Hudgins, L. F.
116
Hudson, F. S.
180
36
Bagley, W. W. 345
Baker, G. A.
.173
Baker, Mary A.
.350
Baker, W. H.
.237
Ballantyne, D. J.
.102
Barney, Reuben.
.128
Diegelman, W. B.
.251
Dome, L. M.
.238
Ashby, F. W 9
Bagley, P. E.
192
364
INDEX
Hurst, R. D. .346
Hutchison, Thomas. .301
Infield, Perry.
IIO
Isherwood, R. L. 15
Jackson, G. H. I45
Jackson, Walter 34
Jackson, W. H. I31
Jacobs, O. P.
76
Jenkins, M. R.
79
Jones, T. D.
347
Jones, W. J. 48
Kesler, H. J. 172
Kessler, E. A. .273
Kessler, J. F. .281
Kilburn, L. M
.343
Kirk, J. H.
312
Kirtley, Neal
239
Klein, J. B.
24
Kriner, G. M.
287
Lawson, C. J 90
Leavell, J. B. .304
Lee, R. J. 28
Lee, T. R.
156
Leeper, J. B.
.275
Lewis, J. A.
288
Lightner, B. C.
.317
McCarthy, William 129
McCoskrie, Andrew .359
McCoskrie, Lewis . 132
McCoy, O. B. .316
McHolland, H. D
IO
McLoney, J. P 332
McMillen, J. A. 69
McNally, R. F. 72
McVey, Archibald. II2
McWilliams, C. E. .204
Macdonald, A. B. .24I
Maddux, M. W .100
Manning, W. H. 39
Marlow, Ben. . 150
Marlow, L. C. .277
Marsh, E. J.
298
Marsh, Frederick.
.321
Marshall, E. L 82
Martin, J. J 342
Martin, L. A. 319
Mast, G. H. 158
Mathews, J. H. . 195
Maxwell, J. C. 169
May, J. J . ..
I86
May, W. R .. .292
Meek, B. J 328
Milbank, J. T. 25
Miller, M. W. 3II
Miller, Scott.
35
Minteer, J. C.
52
Moore, Allen.
98
Moseley, A. S. I90
Ogan, E. F.
.252
Oliver, J. F. 264
Payton, W. E. 234
Peery, J. H. 148
Petree, T. G. 71
Potter, D. S.
225
Powell, C. M.
300
Purcell, G. W 80
Raney, J. C. 67
Rice, G. W.
213
Rice, J. D. 265
Roberts, Adolphus 208
Roberts, E. R.
.243
Roberts, J. N.
232
Robinson, W. P.
178
Rockhold, Julian
220
Roof, A. J. .354
Ross, F. V.
279
Ruddy, W. H
222
Ryan, J. A ..
I22
Scruby, William 88
Seifert, Christian 227
Seiser, J. M 17
Shields, S. F 161
Simpson, A. J. 215
Slifer, A. I39
Smith, G. A. 50
Stevenson, F. T
212
Stith, J. J.
193
Stone, J. C.
162
Taylor, J. H. . 270
Taylor, L. S.
.303
Thompson, F. P. 283
Thompson, Julian
293
Uhrmacher, Lawrence
280
Vadnais, C. E. 223
Vanstane, W. H.
85
Veserat, F. C., Sr. 314
Voris, J. M.
59
Wagner, G. D
349
Walker, Joshua.
·330
INDEX
365
Walker, Wiley
87
Wilburn, W. H.
.188
Walls, J. W .. 167
Williams, Luther
.177
Warner, N. S.
147
Williams, W. F.
.205
Watkins, J. E.
30
Wilson, J. M.
286
Wenke, B W.
197
Whittecar, Sarah M.
I4I
Yeomans, J. A.
.245
2599
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