BIOS: The BEACHY Family, Somerset County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Candace Roth Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/ ________________________________________________ History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania; Bedford County by E. Howard Blackburn; Somerset County by William H. Welfley; v.3, Pub. The Lewis Publishing Company, New York/Chicago 1906, ppg. 267/8 The BEACHY Family. The Beachy family, numerous representatives of which reside in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, was founded in this country by Abraham Beachy, who came from Switzerland and settled in eastern Pennsylvania. He afterwards came to what is now Somerset, then Bedford county, and purchased in Elk Lick township a large tract of land, whereon he settled. The name was formerly spelled Bitsche. Abraham Beachy married Barbara Lichty, who bore him one child, Peter A. Abraham Beachy died September 18, 1833. Peter A. Beachy, only child of Abraham and Barbara (Lichty) Beachy, was born in Elk Lick township, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1793. He received a limited education in the subscription schools, and succeeded to the home farm, where he followed dairy and general farming during the active years of his life. He was known as "River Pete." He accumulated a large amount of money from his farming business and the discounting of paper for the neighborhood, leaving at the time of his death thirty thousand dollars in gold in a strong box, which was his bank. He was a sharp, shrewd man in his dealings, possessed great forsight and judgment, but was strictly honorable in all his transactions. He was practically an invalid from his twenty-fifth year; although slight in physique and weak in body, his mind and power of transacting successful business was in no way affected. Peter A. Beachy married Anna Livingood, who bore him four sons and six daughters: Samuel, Elizabeth, Matilda, Susannah, John W., Abraham P., Nancy, Lucinda, Daniel L. and Sarah Ann. Peter A. Beachy, who was a member of the Amish Mennonite church, died August 21, 1854; his wife died October 22, 1869, aged seventy- two years. Abraham P. Beachy, third son of Peter A. and Ann (Livingood) Beachy, was born in Elk Lick township, January 23, 1828. He was educated in the subscription schools taught by J. J. Stutzman. He was reared on the home farm, on which he was actively engaged from early youth, and was taught the value of industry and a horror of idleness. On attaining manhood he rented the home farm from his father and worked it for three years, at the expiration of which time he becamse the owner by purchase. He added to the farm from time to time until he was the owner of a landed estate of six hundred acres in Somerset county and a section of land in Nebraska. He was one of the prosperous, honored men of his county, and could have had any political office, but he always refused to allow his name to be used as a candidate, preferring to lead a quiet, retired life. He was a staunch friend of the cause of education and for many years was a school director. He was a deacon of the German Baptist church. He was at first an old line Whig, bur later a Republican. Abraham P. Beachy married (first) January 23, 1848, Christiana, daughter of Samuel C. Lichty, of Elk Lick township. Seven children were born to them, six of whom survive, namely: Samuel A., Lucinda (Mrs. Samuel P. Maust), Annie (Mrs. Gabriel Beachley, of Beatrice, Nebraska), Peter A. (of Chicago, Illinois); Lloyd L. (resides on the old homestead farm), and Alice (Mrs. Norman Musselman, of Falls City, Nebraska). Mrs. Christiana Beachy died July 14, 1880. Mr. Beachy married (second) Matilda, daughter of Henry Yoder. Abraham P. Beachy died January 2, 1896. Samuel A. Beachy, eldest son of Abraham P. and Christiana (Lichty) Beachy, was born on the Beachy homestead, April 2, 1849. He was reared on the home farm and educated in the common and normal schools of the district. He taught one term in the township school and one in Carroll county, Illinois. In 1873 he purchased what was known as the Ober farm, containing one hundred and sixty acres of fertile and highly cultivated land. He makes a specialty of dairy produce and stock raising. He was one of the organizers and stockholders in the First National Bank of Salisbury. He has held many positions of honor and trust, and is an executor of one of the largest estates in the county. He is greatly interested in educational matters and served as school director several years. He is a member of the German Baptist Brethren church, and a Republican in politics. Samuel A. Beachy married, February 27, 1870, Mary, daughter of Samuel J. Fike, and four children were born to them, as follows: Ida M., wife of Dallas J. Fike, two children, Mary and Charles Fike; Carrie, wife of Arthur C. Lichty, one child, Dorothy; Alice Christiana, resides at home; Emma, died in infancy.