BIOGRAPHY: Beadle, Augustus
From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

*************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
*************************************************

     AUGUSTUS BEADLE, Esq., was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 
1821, residing there until he was twenty-two years of age, receiving 
his education mostly under private tutors.
     In 1843 he went to Kingston, as the Principal of the Princeton 
Academy, and during the next twelve years was engaged in teaching, 
lecturing, and literary pursuits generally, receiving, in 1854, the 
honorary degree of Master of Arts from Rutgers' College.
     In 1855 he removed with his family to what is now Afton Township, 
Howard County, Iowa, where he had previously entered some Government 
lands, through an agent.  Here he opened a farm of some seven hundred 
acres, a part of which he had purchased in connection with the Western 
Farm League, a colony which had been formed in New York City.  Only 
about twenty members of this colony, however, made any settlement here.  
The nearest market was then McGregor, eighty-five miles distant, where 
Mr. Beadle marketed annually from 3,000 to 4,000 bushels of wheat.  The 
year following he purchased about three thousand acres additional in 
Howard and adjoining counties, with the expectation that a railroad, 
then projected from Dubuque to St. Paul, would pass through this 
locality; but during the financial crash of 1857, the project was 
abandoned.
     In 1861 he initiated a movement which resulted in the building of 
the McGregor Western Railroad, which was afterwards purchased by the 
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, by whom it was completed to St. 
Paul.  In 1864 Mr. Beadle purchased 640 acres of land, and laid out the 
town of Cresco, whither he removed and where he at present resides.   
From the starting of the town to the present time he has been closely 
identified with its interests, taking an active interest in every thing 
which would add to its advancement and prosperity.