Dallas Co., TX - Obits: W. H. Beeman ***************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by: Sadie Kennedy USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************** Dallas Morning news 16 Jan 1905 WAS PIONEER RESIDENT W. H. Beeman Had lived here Since Before Settlement of Country. In the death of W. H. Beeman, which occurred at his home near Beeman's School House Saturday morning, Dallas County lost its oldest living pioneer. Mr. Beeman had been a resident of this part of Texas for more than sixty years, coming here from Illinois in 1841 with his parents. At that time Texas was a struggling young Republic and the county of Dallas had not been organized. The country was infested with prowling foraging Indians and the Beeman family when they located west of where Dallas now stands built their home and erected for its protection a stockade, or fort, known as Bird's Fort. There were few inhabitants in this part of the country and the Beeman family had no near neighbors. After living at Bird's Fort several years Billie Beeman, as he was known by Dallas County pioneers, moved to the bluffs of the Trinity River, where the city of Dallas was subsequently founded. In 1851 he embarked in the carriage and wagon trade and established a business on Elm Street. In this same year he was married to Miss Martha Dye, a member of a pioneer family. The location of the present busy shopping district of Dallas was then covered with the timber of Trinity River bottom and Mr. Beeman cleared the land on which has since been erected many of the handsomest business buildings of Dallas. After the war broke out Mr. Beeman moved to his farm, three miles east of the city, where he died Saturday morning. Title: Was Pioneer Resident Date: 1905-01-16 Page: 3