Isaac Beem Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1731-1732 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	ISAAC BEEM, of near Vesta, Pennington county, is a native of 
Belmont county, Ohio, where he was born on September 27, 1849, and where 
he grew to the age of sixteen and was educated. In the spring of 1865, 
in company with his brother Joseph, a sketch of whom will be found 
elsewhere in this work, he moved to Jefferson county, Iowa, where he 
remained four years engaged in farming. In 1869 the brothers went over 
the Union Pacific to Fort Steele, Wyoming, and a short time afterward 
proceeded to Eagan Canon, Nevada, where they followed mining and teaming 
during the winter of 1870. The next spring they drove stock to Salt Lake 
city, and from there went to Corinne, Utah, and engaged in freighting 
between that place and Helena, Montana. During the summer they worked on 
the telegraph line between Helena and Deer Lodge, and later were 
employed in ranching and mining in the vicinity of Helena. They returned 
to Corinne and soon after to Iowa, where they wintered. In the spring 
they came to Fargo, which had just been laid out and had but a few rude 
houses. Mr. Beem worked on the construction of the Union Pacific 
Railroad, then building to Bismarck. In August he went to Bismarck, and 
in the ensuing January bought a pony and cutter and drove down the 
government trail to Yankton. Disposing of the team, he joined his 
brother again in Iowa. In the spring they crossed the country to 
Bismarck, and after working a few months at the Standing Rock agency, 
passed the fall at Bismarck, having settled on land near the town. In 
1874 they went into Canada and worked until fall on the Canadian Pacific 
Railroad, then in course of construction, and the winter was again spent 
in Iowa. Returning to Canada in the spring with a number of teams, they 
continued to work on the railroad until fall, when he returned to 
Bismarck for the winter and his brother did freighting to Miles City for 
the government. In the summer following Mr. Beem freighted between 
Bismarck and Deadwood. and the next spring returned to Iowa to buy more 
mules for his business, leaving a man in charge of his freighting while 
his brother looked after his interests at Bismarck. In the spring the 
brothers took a contract from the government to supply wood for Fort 
Assiniboine, Montana. From then until 1884 he was engaged in various 
occupations, freighting and grading along the line of the Northern 
Pacific under contract, and doing other things as opportunity offered. 
In 1884 he brought his brother and family with him by teams to Rapid 
City, and the brothers took up land on Box Elder creek, four miles 
apart. The brother conducted both ranches and Mr. Beem continued 
freighting until 1887, when he settled on his ranch and began devoting 
his whole time to raising stock, in which he has since been engaged. He 
has acquired a considerable body of land in this section and has a large 
acreage leased in addition. He is an uncompromising Democrat in politics 
and energetic in the support of his party, having influence in its 
councils and high standing in the community generally.