John C. Beede
John C. Beede, who is living retired in Waukon after more than
fifty years of prominent identification with farming interests in
the vicinity, is numbered among the pioneers in Allamakee county,
his residence here dating from 1857. He has been one of the
greatest individual forces in the agricultural development of
this section, has always been interested in its expansion along
other lines and for more than half a century has been recognized
as a public-spirited and progressive citizen as well as a
prosperous and successful business man.
Mr. Beede was born near Augusta, Maine, November 23, 1835, and
spent his early childhood in that city. He had no school
advantages in his early life and is entirely self-educated his
knowledge coming from his private study and wide spreading in
mature years. When he was fourteen years of age he went to sea
joining a fishing crew and engaging in cod and mackerel fishing
off the Newfoundland coast during the summers and in the winters
working in a store. After he was twenty-one, he followed a
sea-faring life for some time, and advanced rapidly, becoming
first mate of his vessel. During some period in his early life he
had learned the shipmaking trade and this he followed for a few
seasons in Maine after coming ashore. He married in that state in
1857 and soon afterward moved to Iowa, where he joined his
brother-in-law, Chester Caton, in Allamakee county, where he has
since resided. They farmed together for two years and at the end
of that time Mr. Beede purchased an eighty acre tract of raw land
in Union Prairie township which he proceeded to break, fence and
improve. Upon a he built an attractive residence, a good barn and
substantial outbuildings, and did everything in his power to make
it a valuable and productive property. Here for over half a
century he carried on general {missing part of this line} with
increasing success becoming at length one of the prosperous and
successful farmers of the community. By well directed labor and
practical methods and strict adherence to high standards of
business integrity he accumulated a comfortable fortune which
enabled him to retire from active life. Accordingly, in 1910, he
sold his farm and moved to Waukon, where he purchased an
attractive home in which he now resides.
Mr. Beede has been twice married. His first union occurred in
Maine in 1857 and to it were born eight children: Arthur S., now
a resident of Oregon; Leroy J., of South Dakota; Edgar I., also
of Oregon; Angie M., the wife of
E. A. Heath, of Alaska; Mrs. Cora I Campbell, of North Dakota;
Nellie, the wife of Professor I., W. Abbott, for fourteen years
superintendent of schools in Nobles county, Minnesota; Albert W.,
who lives at home; and Fred, who
resides in Williston, North Dakota. The mother of these children
passed away on January 15, 1876, and on the 26th of May, 1877,
Mr. Beede wedded Miss Mary T. Ryan, a native of Massachusetts,
who was reared in Union Prairie township, Allamakee county, and
is a daughter of Thomas Ryan, who was one of the pioneers in this
part of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Beede have three children; John
C., a business man in Waukon; Minnie, the wife of W. J. Raymond,
also of Waukon, and Myrtle Irene, who married Ernest Raymmond, of
Nora Springs, Iowa. One son born to Mr. and Mrs. Beede,
William H., grew to maturity and died in 1910, at the age of
twenty-nine. They also lost a daughter, Lizzie, who passed away
in 1898, when she was twenty years of age.
Fraternally Mr. Beede is connected with the Odd Fellows, which he
joined in 1870, and he has passed through all the chairs in the
subordinate lodge and is now past grand. He and his wife are
members of the Rebekah lodge and Mrs. Beede has served in all of
the chairs of the order, being at present past vise grand. W. J.
Raymond, Mr. Beede’s son-in-law, is now noble grand of the
Waukon lodge and his wife is noble grand of the Rebekahs. Mr.
Beede cast his first vote for John C. Fremont in 1856 and since
the formation of the republican party has voted for every
republican nominee for the presidency. He takes an active
interest in local affairs, especially in school matters, and
while on the farm was elected in 1858 a member of the school
board, serving continuously for fifty-two years. He is numbered
among the real builders of Allamakee county, for he has borne an
active and honorable part in the work of its development and for
more than half a century has consistently supported all
progressive public movements. He commands the confidence and
respect of his neighbors and well deserves the retirement which
he now enjoys, for it is the fruit of long years of honest and
successful labor.
-source: Past & Present of Allamakee County; by
Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Diana Diedrich
Return to 1913 biographies index