Elias S. Beck Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1244-1245 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	ELIAS S. BECK.—Among the old and well-known families of Lancaster 
county, Pennsylvania, is the one of which the subject of this review is 
an honorable representative. David Beck, grandfather of Elias S., was 
one of the earliest settlers of the above county and spent the greater 
part of his life there, dying a number of years ago at the ripe old age 
of ninety-four. His wife, Nancy Groff, whose ancestors were also among 
the first pioneers of Lancaster, departed this life on the old Beck 
homestead, after bearing her husband six children, whose names were as 
follows: Martin, David, Abraham, Levi, Eliza and Anna, the majority of 
whom have joined their ancestors in the life beyond death's mystic 
stream. 

	Martin, the oldest of these children, was born and reared in 
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and there spent about thirty-four years 
of his life, as a miller; he also followed the same vocation-for six 
years in the county of Berks, after which he went to Chester, where he 
engaged in dairy farming for a period of two years, returning to his 
native county at the expiration of that time and dying in the latter at 
the age of sixty-seven. When a young man Martin Beck married Miss 
Rebecca Stone, whose father, David Stone, was an early resident of 
Lancaster county, also a large land owner and successful farmer, and a 
man of local prominence. He served a number of years as county 
commissioner, took an active interest in public affairs and was a 
politician of considerable note, having been one of the early Whig 
leaders in the township of his residence. Mr. Stone was one of a 
committee to secure signatures to a petition to the Pennsylvania 
legislature for free schools in that state and one of the principal 
reasons that gave strength to the petition was that so many that signed 
it had to make their mark. Mr. Stone was the father of seven children; 
Jacob, for many years a prominent real-estate dealer and business man of 
Chicago; Elias, a farmer who departed this life in Ohio; Daniel, 
formerly of Ohio, now a resident of Kansas; Mrs. Rebecca Beck; Mrs. 
Barbara Reiter; Mrs. Daniel Breniser and Mrs. Samuel Rettew. 

	Martin and Rebecca Beck reared a family of six children, the 
oldest of whom was Mary Emma, whose death occurred in Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania, in the year 1902; Lavina R., the second, is still living 
in that county, and the third in order of birth is Elias S., whose 
name appears at the beginning of this article; Ambrose is a successful 
contractor and builder, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Alice is living 
in the county of Lancaster, and Jacob, the youngest of the number, is in 
the mercantile business at Parker, South Dakota. 

	Elias Stone Beck was born in West Earl township, Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania, on September 6, 1852. His mother died when he was quite 
young, which event, with other discouraging circumstances, threw him 
upon his own resources at an early age, consequently his educational 
advantages were considerably limited, the greater part of his knowledge 
of books having been obtained by devoting his spare time to study, both 
at home and in his father's mill, where he began working as soon as old 
enough to be of any service. After assisting his father until reaching 
his majority he took a course in the Chester Valley Academy at 
Downingtown, Pennsylvania, after which he left home and went to Union 
county, Pennsylvania, where he spent the ensuing five years, teaching 
school of winter seasons and devoting the summer time to agricultural 
pursuits. In the month of December, 1877, he was married, in the above 
county, to Miss Adelia Klapp, whose parents, Peter and Catherine Klapp, 
were early pioneers of their county and who raised a family of twelve 
children, Adelia being the eleventh in their order. Thereafter he 
located in the county of Northumberland, where he taught two years, at 
the end of which time he sold out and came to Lincoln county, South 
Dakota, settling in Dayton township on the southeast quarter of section 
5, which land he homesteaded, securing a patent from the United States 
government. Mr. Beck improved his place by erecting substantial 
buildings, planting orchards and other trees, and now has one of the 
best cultivated, as well as one of the most valuable farms of its area 
in the township, besides being quite extensively interested in stock 
raising, which in connection with agriculture he has prosecuted with a 
large measure of success ever since coming to Dakota. 

	Mr. Beck has been honored with a number of public positions of 
trust, having been a member of the school board for a number of years, 
also justice of the peace, besides serving in 1898 as clerk of the 
circuit and county courts of Lincoln county, which position he held for 
a period of four years, his son succeeding him. He has devoted much of 
his time and attention to the duties of these and other local offices, 
also manifests a lively interest in whatever concerns the material 
advancement of his township and county, and as a zealous supporter of 
the Republican party, makes his influence felt in the political circles 
of this part of the state. An enthusiastic friend of education, he has 
done much to arouse and keep alive a commendable interest in behalf of 
the public schools, and for a period of twenty years he devoted his 
attention largely to teaching, during which time he earned the 
reputation of being one of the most capable and popular instructors in 
Lincoln county. 

	The family of Mr. and Mrs. Beck consists of nine children, the 
oldest being Martin Harrison, who at this time fills the responsible 
post of assistant excursion agent for the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul 
Railroad, with headquarters at Arnold's Park, Iowa; he is also an expert 
telegrapher and had charge of the important office of city ticket agent 
of Sioux City, Iowa, on the above line before being promoted to the 
position he now so ably holds; his wife was formerly Miss Alma 
Donaldson, and he has a pleasant home in the city where he is located. 
Ambrose Brady, the second son, is a young man of intelligence, filling, 
at the present time, the position of clerk of the Lincoln county courts; 
Warren Elsworth, the next in order of birth, is in the railway service, 
being operator and assistant agent at Yankton; Estella L., a graduate of 
the Lincoln county public schools and a young lady of culture and wide 
intelligence, is still a member of the home circle, as are also the rest 
of the children, whose names are Ernest S., Mary Ella, William K., David 
R. and Charles Robert.