Louis Beckwith Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 422

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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LOUIS BECKWITH. Probably no man has been more intimately associated 
with the business interests of Mitchell and Davison county than the 
gentleman whose name heads our present article, and his name is 
indissolubly connected with the history of the growth and development 
of the county in which he lives. At the present time he is a resident 
of Mitchell, Davison county, where he is engaged in the real-estate 
business. 

Mr. Beckwith is a native of Tazewell county, Illinois, his natal day 
being December 18, 1842. He is a son of Joseph Beckwith, a native of 
France, who spelled his name "Bequeaith." On coming to America he first 
settled at Terre Haute, Indiana, in the-year 1831, and from there he 
removed to Tazewell county, Illinois, and settled on a farm, which he 
purchased from the government, and made that his home until his death. 
He was a miller by trade. Our subject's mother bore the maiden name of 
Elizabeth Conkle, and was of German parentage. 

Louis Beckwith is the youngest of a family of ten children, and was but 
six months old when his father died. He was reared by his brother, 
John, in Tazewell county, Illinois, until he attained the age of 
fourteen years, and then started out into the world, a penniless youth, 
to fight the battles of life alone. He first secured a position as a 
farm hand, but at the age of fifteen years he found employment in a 
store at Pekin, Illinois, where he remained for eight years, attending 
the public schools of that place during the winters. In 1863 he went to 
Canton, Illinois, and was engaged in merchandising for four years at 
that place. He then returned to Pekin and entered the revenue service, 
and in connection with his duties pertaining to this office he 
conducted a mercantile business. In 1876 he went to Delavan, Illinois, 
and for five years he conducted a clothing and furnishing goods 
business in that city. During the years 1880-81 he retired from 
business on account of ill health, and spent about six months of that 
time at the sanitarium in Dansville, New York. In 1882 he came to 
Dakota and opened a real-estate business in Mitchell, Davison county, 
and has since continued the same, together with other lines of 
business. He owns considerable property in the city, and many of the 
buildings are the result of his labors to develop the village he had 
chosen for his home into a prosperous and thriving city. In politics, 
Mr. Beckwith uses his elective franchise in the support of the 
candidates of the Republican party. 

December 18, 1873, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Mary V. 
Hinsey, a native of Illinois, and a daughter of Cornelius and Felicia 
(Lance) Hinsey. To this congenial union have been born a family of 
three children, of whom we have the following record: Harry P., who is 
now twenty three years of age, is the assistant cashier of the First 
National Bank of Mitchell; Louis E., aged eighteen years, is attending 
school; and Gracie F., whose age is about twelve years, is also in 
school.