(I) John Beach was born in Hebron, Conn., 1770, died in Watson, Lewis county, N.Y., May 15, 1845, son of Elijah and Desire (Taylor) Beach. John Beach came to Lewis county, N.Y. in 1814, to manage an estate of James Talcott Watson, of Rhode Island, after whom the town of Watson was named. When Mr. Beach settled in Watson (at that time Leyden), there were only four families in what is now the town of Watson, so that his entire time was spent in looking after Mr. Watson's estate, clearing land and making for himself a future home in the then almost unbroken wilderness on the east side of Black river. How well his work was done in those years the succeeding generations can judge from the changes that have followed.
He married Lydia ____, who died Nov. 12, 1835, aged fifty-six years.
Children:
Nelson J., mentioned below.
Mary Ann, married Charles Avery.
Laura, married Sanford Safford.
Sidney Porter.

(2) Nelson J., eldset son of John and Lydia Beach, was born in Hebron, Conn., Sept. 21, 1800, died Feb. 22, 1876. When a lad of fourteen he came, with his father, to Lewis county, N.Y., seven years before the town of Watson was organized. He was educated in the common schools and Lowville Academy, and by close application to study fitted himself thoroughly for all the arduous and complicated duties that devolved upon him in his long and useful life. Much of his early life was spent in surveying lands, which was an important vocation while so many settlers were coming in to make new homes for themselves. As early as 1835, when the people began to talk about building the Black river canal from Rome to Lyons Falls, Mr. Beach and Oliver Clute, of Jefferson county, were engaged in gathering statistics as a basis for the bill to be presented to the New York legislature for the establishment of the Black river canal. Through the persistency of several men of Lewis county, of whom Mr. Beach was one, the construction of the Black river canal was authorized by an act of the legislature, April 19, 1836.
The residence at Beach's Bridge was built in 1836, on the east side of Black river, and it has always been much admired. In 1846 Mr. Beach was elected to represent Lewis county in the assembly, and in 1847 he was elected to the senate, but the new constitution coming into operation, his term in the senate was cut short to one year. He was elected on the board of canal commissioners and served for two years. His work during his term of office had a salutary influence, and the management of the canal system was greatly improved. In 1851 he was appointed canal appraiser, serving in that capacity three years; was appointed general agent of the Hudson River railroad, and soon after was elected vice-president, which position he held three years; later he was appointed resident engineer of the canals; was appointed to the trust of closing up the business of the Rome & Ogdensburg railroad, which was projected through Lewis county, all of which was satisfactorily done. Afterward, for several years, he held the office of United States revenue collector, and later the position of general canal agent for the state.
Mr. Beach was a man of acknowledged ability, zealous and energetic in whatever he undertook, and was well informed upon all subjects pertaining to public affairs. The last years of his life were spent on his farm in Watson, which he had done so much to beautify and improve.
In politics he was a Republican.
He married Emily Porter, born in Hebron, Conn., Sept. 26, 1806. She was educated in private schools, mainly in the select school of Catharine Beecher, in Hartford, Conn. When eighteen years of age, in 1824, she became the first preceptress of Lowville Academy, which position she held until her marriage to Mr. Beach in 1829, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Isaac Clinton, first principal of Lowville Academy. As a teacher, Miss Porter ranked among the first, and the reputation she gained during the years of a teacher's experience extended through all her life, and the interest she felt in education never abated, even in the declining years of old age. Mrs. Beach died Oct. 25, 1895, aged eighty-nine years.
Children:
Amelia S., born Sept. 3, 1830.
George Byron, mentioned below.
Josephine, July 8, 1834.
Mary Porter, Feb. 12, 1837.
Lydia Ann, August, 1838; died in infancy.
Henry Harrison, September, 1840.
Anna Lydia, Sept. 9, 1842.
Henrietta, March 2, 1845.
Emily Porter, Jan. 21, 1851.

(3) George Byron, son of Nelson J. and Emily (Porter) Beach, was born in Watson, Lewis county, N.Y., April 2, 1832, died July 27, 1870. He was educated in the public schools and Lowville Academy. He studied civil engineering in an office in Boonville, Oneida county, N.Y. His first work in engineering was on a feeder at Little Falls conveying water from the Mohwak river to the Erie canal at that place. Later, in 1863, he had charge of the building of a lock and dam at Bush's Landing above Beach's Bridge. His experience in that line of work was quite extended, and was always done to the satisfaction of his employers.
He was a member of the Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, attended the Presbyerian church, and in politics was a Republican.
He married, Dec. 8, 1859, Julia, daughter of Lester and Emily (Herkimer) Greene, of Danube, Herkimer county, N.Y. She received her early education in the public schools, later attending Little Falls Academy and Fort Plain Institute. She followed teaching for a short time in the public schools, and after the death of her husband in 1870 she resumed work as a teacher and taught public and private schools for many years, in which vocation she was very successful.
Children:
Frederick Nelson, died in infancy.
Georgianna, married Jay S. Bowen (see Bowen).
Jessie A., of New York City.

Both the Herkimer and Greene families descended from revolutionary sires. Nicholas Herkimer, the hero of the battle of Oriskany, Oneida county, N.Y., who lost his life there in 1777, was a brother of George Herkimer, father of Joseph, father of Emily Herkimer. Among the early Greenes was William, who lived in Suffolk county, Long Island, whose son Ambrose, living in the same place, was the father of John Greene, who was born April 6, 1744. He served in the revolutionary war in the Fourth Albany Company.
He married Gulaelma Lester, and moved to Danube, Herkimer county, N.Y. in 1795, living there until the time of his death in 1837. Lester Greene, son of John and Gulaelma (Lester) Greene, was born in Danube, Nov. 19, 1808; married, Feb. 23, 1832, Emily Herkimer; children: Oliver, Alonzo, Horace and Julia. Julia Greene, only daughter of Lester and Emily (Herkimer) Greene, was born in Danube, July 12, 1837, died March 18, 1907; married, Dec. 8, 1859, Byron Beach.

RETURN TO INDEX

Have these webpages helped you?
Please let us know in the Guestook.

[ Read / Sign my guestbook ]

Get a free Guestbook