Biography of Harry L. Beeman, Orlando, Orange County, FL

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Transcribed from:  The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. 
III, page 110, 1923.

BEEMAN, HARRY L.  While thirty or more years ago Nature was just as lavish in contributing 
to the attractiveness of many sections of Florida as today, it has been through the enterprise, 
generosity and public spirit of such men as HARRY L. BEEMAN, president of the Orlando Bank & 
Trust Company, and proprietor of the San Juan Hotel, that have made the capital of Orange 
County the important, comfortable modern city that it is.  Mr. BEEMAN has been a continuous 
resident of Orlando for thirty-five years and no one has been more vigorous in promoting its 
welfare or more earnest in good citizenship.

HARRY L. BEEMAN was born at Cleveland, Ohio, January 11, 1864, a son of Dr. E. E. and MARY 
(COBB) BEEMAN, and a grandson of AHIRA COBB, a member of one of the early Colonial families 
of Connecticut, where he was born.  Before 1852 AHIRA COBB moved to Ohio, and Mrs. BEEMAN was 
born at Birmingham.  Later he became a member of the great mercantile firm of Strong & Cobb, 
one of the largest business firms of the City of Cleveland.  The late Dr. E. E. BEEMAN was born 
at Elyria, Ohio, and was a son of JULIUS BEEMAN, who was born in the State of New York.  For 
many years Doctor BEEMAN was prominent in the practice of medicine in Ohio, where he also had 
business interests.  His death occurred in 1907, leaving a widow and two sons, HARRY L. and 
LESTER A., all of whom are residents of Orlando.

HARRY L. BEEMAN was educated in his native state and began his business career as an employee 
of the mercantile firm of Strong & Cobb at Cleveland.  Three years later, in 1882, he became 
a member of the newly organized firm of Doctor Beeman & Son, manufacturers of pepsin, which 
shortly afterward became the Beeman Chemical Company, which manufactured and distributed the 
Doctor Beeman's Pepsin Chewing Gum, Mr. BEEMAN's father having originated this famous confection.  
For the next few years he devoted himself closely to the business of the firm, but by 1887 
symptoms of ill health began to manifest themselves and he very sensibly took note of them and 
decided on a period of rest in Florida.

When Mr. BEEMAN came to Orlando in 1887, he found much more that was attractive here than genial 
climate, and very soon found himself in friendly association with his neighbors and considering 
business prospects, with the idea of making this his permanent home.  Thus it came about that 
he purchased the San Juan Hotel, then a three-story brick structure that had been erected by 
H. S. KEDNEY in 1887.  In 1901 Mr. BEEMAN added two more stories and made other improvements, 
continuing to improve it from year to year and in 1922 an addition was added, at an approximate 
cost of $575,000, of an eight-story steel structure reinforced by concrete and modern throughout 
its entire extent.  The San Juan Hotel now has 241 guest rooms, and in size, appearance, equipment 
and comfort is second to none in Florida.

In 1891 Mr. BEEMAN married Miss MARIE ST. CYR, of St. Louis, Missouri, and they have one son, 
EDWIN P., who is manager of the San Juan Hotel.

Mr. BEEMAN has numerous other business interests and responsibilities.  He is president of the 
Orlando Bank & Trust Company and owns an orange grove and a large ranch.  The ranch he devotes 
to raising cattle and hogs, and it is a very profitable enterprise.  Soon after coming to Florida 
he invested in land in Orange County and put out an orange grove, and has never disposed of this 
valuable property.  In Masonry he has attained the Knights Templar degree and is a Shriner.