Biography of Braxton Beacham, Orlando, Orange County, FL

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Transcribed from:  The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. 
III, page 112, 1923.

BEACHAM, BRAXTON.  In business and public circles of Orange County the name of BRAXTON BEACHAM, 
of Orlando, has been for years considered synonymous with industry and integrity.  He is a 
native son of Georgia, and was born on a farm in Laurens County September 12, 1864, his parents 
being LEWIS and MARTHA (KNIGHT) BEACHAM.

LEWIS BEACHAM was born in Georgia, of an old Southern family, while Mrs. BEACHAM was born 
in Rhode Island, of New England ancestry, but her people moved to the South and she was reared 
in Georgia.  Unto LEWIS and MARTHA BEACHAM eleven children were born, five daughters and six 
sons.  The father, who was a farmer by occupation, died when his son BRAXTON was about ten years 
of age.  About two years later the widowed mother, with her children, removed to the town of 
Dublin, Georgia, where BRAXTON BEACHAM was given excellent educational advantages in a private 
school under the direction and instruction of able teachers, advanced in the studies of Greek 
and Latin.

In December, 1883, when only nineteen years of age, BRAXTON BEACHAM, with $250 given him by 
his mother, left home and his native state to begin the battle of life for himself.  He came 
to Orange County, Florida, and put out an orange grove near Maitland.  This grove he later 
sold, and in the fall of 1884 changed his base of operations to Orlando, which has been his 
home to the present.  At the time of his arrival he accepted a clerkship in a dry goods store 
at Orlando, and with the lapse of time saved a working capital out of his earnings as a clerk, 
with which he engaged in dealing as a realtor, a form of business in which he still is interested.  
He has speculated extensively in timbered lands, buying and selling large tracts.  In the city 
of Orlando he has bought and sold much real estate, and in addition thereto has been a contributor 
to the development of the city, being the owner of the Beacham Theatre, of which he was the builder, 
and a promoter and builder of the eleven-story modern hotel known as the Augebilt.  For many 
years he has been numbered among the most extensive orange-growers of Florida.  In 1920 he 
sold a 300-acre orange grove of his own development, but soon thereafter reinvested in the 
industry.  In Alachua County he is the owner of a stock farm of 1,500 acres.  His business career 
has been an active and prosperous one, attended by gratifying success.  For many years Mr. BEACHAM 
has been a prominent figure in the democratic party.  In 1910 he was an unsuccessful candidate 
for nomination as his party's nominee for congressman-at-large from Florida.  He made the race 
on a platform declared in favor of Government aid in the construction of improved public roads.  
At that time he was considered a dreamer and visionary for advocati0ng such aid; however that 
may be, he and other farsighted men have lived to witness the securing of such aid and to enjoy 
traveling upon the resultant public improved roads.  The only elective office Mr. BEACHAM had 
held is that of mayor of Orlando, for one term, which was a businesslike administration.  
Appointed by President Wilson, Mr. BEACHAM served as food administrator for a period of eighteen 
months during the World war, discharging his duties without remuneration and confronting many 
new and difficult problems, for never before in the history of our country were its people 
restricted as to what and how much they should eat, a restricti0n, however, that the Government 
deemed necessary to victory for the cause of liberty.  With true patriotic devotion and unswerving 
courage Mr. BEACHAM administered the affairs of his office, without fear or favor, and while 
there were some malcontents at the time, even they now join others in praise of his service 
as food administrator.

In 1896 Mr. BEACHAM married Miss ROBERTA HOLLAND, of Kentucky, and they are the parents of 
three children:  NORMA K., the wife of Dr. DUDLEY HUGHES, of New York City, New York; BRAXTON, 
Jr., a soldier in the United States Navy during the World war who married ROBERTA BRANCH and 
reside at Orlando; and ROBERTA AUGUSTA, who is the wife of W. D. ROGERS, of Orlando.