Biography: Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Orville BEACH

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Submitted by Kathy Grace, <gendiva@charter.net> November 2004

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History of northern Wisconsin: containing an account of its settlement,
growth, development, and resources, an extensive sketch of its counties,
cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories,
biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers, views
of county seats, etc.
Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1881 p. 1138

Orville Beach

Orville Beach, who for more than twenty-five years has been a resident of
Oshkosh, was born in July, 1826, in Washington Co., N.Y., where his father
was born and now lives.  His paternal grandfather was a native of
Connecticut, his grandmother a native of New York.  Orville was the oldest
of six children, and until the age of twenty worked on a farm, having
meanwhile attended, for a brief period, the common schools of that section.
Having grown to manhood, he commenced to work in the woods, and his
connection with the lumber business dates from that time.  He met with
success in his early efforts and his operations became extensive, shipping
at Sandy Hill and Glens Falls and marketing the lumber at Albany, N.Y.  In
1855, having accumulated a few thousand dollars, he removed to the West.
After a brief stay in Fond du La, he located in Oshkosh in October of that
year.  Shortly after, he commenced his operations in this section, and
turning his attention to pineries up the Wolf River, entered a tract a
timber lands.  During three years he spent much time in looking up and
entering lands.  He then engaged in buying and shipping grain, and build a
grain elevator at the North-Western depot, it being the second built in
this city.  He continued in this traffic until 1862, when he entered into
partnership with E.N. Conlee, under the firm name of Beach & Conlee,
building a saw mill where the Conlee Bros. mill now is.  Also built another
grain elevator, which was used for that purpose a number of years and
finally converted into a sash, door and blind factory.  The partnership
continued about eight years, when G.W. Conlee became a member of the firm,
under the name of Beach, Conlee & Bros.  Both of the Conlee brothers were
in the employ of Mr. Beach before they became his partners.  The new firm
continued in business together for five years, when Mr. Beach retired from
the concern and formed a copartnership with his brother, D. Beach, and his
brother-in-law, W.P. Warwick, under the firm name of O. Beach & Bros.  They
build their present mill in the winter of 1879, and confined it to the
manufacture of lumber.  Mr. Beach is one of the most competent and
successful business men in the city.  He was elected County Supervisor in
1875, and was twice re-elected, as a Republican.  In all public enterprises
he has promptly give aid; was one of the original projectors and directors
of the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad, running from Oshkosh to Ripon, and
aided in its successful completion.  The road is now leased to the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and Mr. Beach is still a director of this
branch.  Mr. Beach was married in January, 1859, to Miss Helen A. Thompson,
of Saratoga Co., N.Y., having returned to his native State for that
purpose, himself and bride returning in February of that year.