Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-02-15
W. H. BEAL,
PIONEER RESI-
Dent, DEAD
Settled i'm County More than 90 Years
AgO-Entered Land at "Bit" an
Acre-Active i'm Educational
Matters.

w IL DCdl1 90 gGdlb Olu, ldIhCI VI
John Beal, editor of The Mexico Mes
sage, died at the home of the latter in
this city at 2:40 Monday morning, as
the result of an attack of grippe.
Mr.. Beal was born in Switzerland
County, Indiana, April "a, 1928.
There he grew to manhood and
learned the carpenters trade Subse-
quently he went to Kentucky and for
several years built hay presses. In
1854 he came to Missouri and entered
land from the Government at IL 1-2
cents an acre in the Lick Creek
country" 16 miles northeast of Mex
leo. Mr.. Beal returned to Indiana
and on July 4, 1855, he and Miss Jane
Stout were married. The same sum
mer Mr.. and Mrs. Beal drove across
the country in a two-horse wagon
for their new settlement in Missouri.
The next year Mr.. Beal built
small home on the land he had enter
ed. Oak siding was used and the
building was thatched with straw.
Bushwhackers during the Civil War
threatened to burn this building one
night when Mr.. Beal was away and
only Mrs. Beal and her two or three
babies were at home. They were
hunting Mr.. Beal's gun and Mrs. Beal
refused to tell them where to find it.
They searched the house and the gun
was lodged behind a cupboard in
quite conspicuous view, but they ov-
erlooked it completely, while yet
threatening to burn the house.
Mr.. Beal remained at home during
the War, but was enrolled for a time
in the State militia stationed at Mex
leo.
There were five chiIdren-John,
now editor of The Mexico Message;
Blgin, of Broken Bow, Neb., who
died few years ago; c. w. Beal,
now a member of the State Senate of
Nebraska; Dave Beal, who died 80
years ago, and Grant Beal, now dead,
who was editor of The Laddonia Her.
aid for a number of years.
Traded in Mexico.
There were no towns nearer than
Mexico, Paris, Louisiana or Hannibal
when Mr.. and Mrs. Beal settled on
Lick Creek Mr.. Beal used to haul
lumber from Hannibal, get his mill
ing at Hickman's Mill in Monroe
County and sell his produce and buy
his groceries in Mexico. Those were
the days of ]. d. Morris, James Pas
queth, J. F. Llewellyn, R. R. Arnold
and others in Mexico
Mr.. Beal always took an active in
terest in all educational matters.
For years he served as clerk of his
school district. He was one of the
main promoters of the schools now
called Elm Bend and Oak Grove. He
and DR.. William Girten organized
the first debating society in that
locality.
The early settlers up and down the
Creek near the woods and the swim
ming holes used to amuse them
selves at Mr.. Beal's expense because
he chose prairie ground for settle
ment, but the old homestead today
perhaps could not be bought for less
than 500 an acre.
In 1884 Mr.. Beal left the old home
and moved to ,Laddonia. There ht
lived until 1903. February of that
year his wife died and since then hi
has spent his time in Nebraska will
his son, C. w. Beal, and with hi
son, John Beal, of Mexico.
He had been Mason more thar
sixty years-one of the oldest in tn,
State.
w. H. Beal was born in Switzer
land county, Indiana, April "a, 1928
Died February IL, 1917, aged s.
years, 10 months and 10 days. Wa
married to Miss Jane Stout July
1856. Came to Missouri the sam
summer and settled near LaddOnia.
Five children were born into tn
home. All have died except Joh
Beal, Of Mexico, Mo-, and C. w. Bea
of Broken Bow, Nebraska. He was c
large family of children but onl
one is now left, Mrs. Jane Williams
of Arkansas. The beloved wife an
mother passed hence February
1908.
Mr.. Beal had the sturdy chara
ter generally possessed by the ear
pioneers, He was always intereste