Charles L. Beeman Biography

	This biography appears on pages 1015-1016 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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	CHARLES L. BEEMAN is a native of Bradford county, Pennsylvania, where 
his birth took  place on the 11th day of January, 1832, being the son of 
Joseph H. and Betsy (Buck) Beeman,  both parents born and reared in the 
Keystone state. The Beemans and Bucks were among, the  early settlers of 
Bradford county and both families appear to have been widely known and  
highly esteemed. Joseph H. Beeman, the subject's father, was a farmer 
and in connection with  agriculture worked for a number of years. at the 
carpenter's trade, having been an efficient  mechanic as well as an 
enterprising and prosperous tiller of the soil. Of his eight children, 
three  survive, namely: Charles L., who is the second in order of birth; 
Julia, living in Iowa, and Amos.  who is still a resident of Bradford 
county. The following are the names of those deceased;  Denton, who was 
the oldest of the family, Minor, Eliza and Henry, the third, fourth and 
fifth,  respectively. Henry was a soldier in the Union army during the 
late Civil war, rendered valuable  service for his country and died a 
miserable death in the prison pen at Andersonville.  

	Charles L. Beeman was reared on the home farm in Pennsylvania and 
owing to unfavorable  circumstances was enabled to acquire only a 
limited education. Being the oldest of the living  children, much of the 
labor of the farm naturally fell to him, but with true filial regard he  
cheerfully assumed the responsibility and discharged his duties 
faithfully and well, remaining with  his  parents and looking to their 
interests and the interests of the rest of the family until long after  
the age when the majority of young men are accustomed to begin life for 
themselves. In 1864  he left home and went to Jones county, Iowa, where 
he purchased forty acres of land and  engaged in farming. He succeeded 
fairly well and continued to live where he originally located  until 
1883, when he sold his place and came to Bon Homme county, Dakota, 
purchasing a  quarter section of land in the township of Bon Homme, 
which he soon reduced to cultivation  and otherwise improved. Accustomed 
to hard work from his youth and possessing a  determined will, Mr. 
Beeman made substantial progress as a farmer and in the course of a few  
years was accounted one of the most successful men of the community in 
which he resided. In  the year 1900 he bought his present place and 
since that time has brought it to a high state of  tillage, besides 
making a number of substantial improvements, including a neat and 
comfortable  dwelling, good barns and other outbuildings, and he now 
owns one of the most beautiful and  desirable homes in the township. Mr. 
Beeman has devoted his life to agriculture and is familiar  with every 
phase of his chosen calling. He employs modern methods in the tilling of 
the soil,  raises abundant crops of grain, vegetables and other products 
peculiar to South Dakota,  besides paying considerable attention to live 
stock, in the breeding and raising of which he has  met with encouraging 
success. Mr. Beeman is a man of domestic tastes, a great lover of his  
home and has never had any desire for public office, although a staunch 
Republican in politics  and an active supporter of his party. In 
religion he is a Baptist, having united with the church a  number of 
years ago, and his life ever since been in harmony with the principles 
and teachings  of the faith which he professes.  

	Mr. Beeman was married in his native county and state, in 1852, to Miss 
Caroline E. Titus,  who was born and reared in the same neighborhood in 
which he spent his youth and early  manhood. They have three children, 
the oldest being Rosie, who is now the wife of Alexander  Kane, a 
farmer, of Knox county, Nebraska; Estella, the second daughter, married 
Homer Beeman, a farmer and stock raiser of Bon Homme township, and the 
youngest of the family, a son by the name of Frank, lives at home and 
helps his father run the farm. Mrs. Beeman is also a Baptist in her 
religious belief and a consistent and highly esteemed member of the 
local church.