Charles Hastings Beecher ^{2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census in 1860 in Lima Twp., LaGrange, IN. ⁴ Isaac Beecher, day laborer, 54, was living with wife Amanda, 50; James, 14; Gustavius, 11; Margaret, 8. Isaac and Amanada were born in Pennsylvania, the children in Ohio. Isaac had no real estate value; his possessions were worth $163.

Living on the same page: James Beecher, 31, boot & shoemaker; his wife Maryann, 27; Louisa L., 8; Daniel B., 6; and Henry M., 1. James' real estate was worth $200 and his personal possessions $150. Everyone was born in Ohio.

On the next page: Alexander W. Beecher, clerk, 28; his wife Adalaid P., 23; Charles H., 3; and Edward, 1. Alexander was born in Pennsylvania, his wife and children in Indiana. His real estate was worth $600 and personal possessions $250.

2. Census in 1870 in Lima Twp., LaGrange, IN. ^{3 10} A.W. Beecher, merchant, 39, was living with wife Adlade P., 33; Charles, 13; Eddie A., 11; daughter Frances, 5; Kittie, 3. The children were born in Indiana. A.W. was born in Pennsylvania, and his wife in Ireland. A.W.'s real estate was valued at $2500 and his personal estate $9000.

3. Census in 1880 in Lima Twp., LaGrange, IN. ¹¹ Chas. H. Beecher, merchant, 23, was living with wife Julia M., 20, and no children. He was born in Indiana, his father in Pennsylvania, and mother in Ireland. Julia and her parents were born in Michigan.

4. Moved: 1887, Sturgis, St. Joseph, MI. ²

5. Moved: 1899, Howe, LaGrange, IN. ²

6. Census in 1910 in Lima Twp., LaGrange, IN. ¹ Charles H. Beecher, mail carrier rural route, 53, was married for 29 years to wife Julie M., 49. She had birthed 3 children, 2 alive in 1910. Charles was born in Indiana, his father in Pennsylvania, and mother in Ireland. Julie was born in Michigan, her father in Ohio, and mother in New York.

7. Book: History of Northeast Indiana, 1920. ²
Charles H. Beecher, a vetern business man of Lima township, LaGrange County, represents a family of old and substantial record in this part of Northeast Indiana.

He was born at the Village of Lima, now Howe, January 18, 1857, son of Alexander W. and Adelaide P. (Acheson) Beecher. His mother was a native of Ireland and was six years of age when she came to the United States. Her father, Thomas Acheson, settled in LaGrange County and had a farm near Lima. The paternal grandparents of Charles H. Beecher were Isaac and Mary A. (Shaw) Beecher , very early settlers of Lima Township. Isaac Beecher had been a school teacher in Ohio and was a man of good education and a fluent linguist.

Alexander W. Beecher settled in Lima more than seventy years ago, and for some years was a clerk, conducted a drug store from 1860 to 1865, and for a number of years was a general merchant. He married in Lima Township and died in 1902, at the age of seventy-two. He was a republican in politics and his wife was a member of the Episcopal Church. They had four children: Charles H., Edward, Frances and Catherine.

Charles H. Beecher acquired his education in the public schools of Howe and worked as a clerk for his father, and then they were in partnership for several years. In 1878 they built the store at Lima in which Mr. Beecher now does business. The father and son sold out their stock of merchandise in 1887, and after that for twelve years Charles H. Beecher lived in Sturgis, Michigan, where he was a merchant for several years and for two years was a traveling man. He returned to Howe in 1899, and from 1902 to 1912 was a rural mail carrier. He resumed merchandising at the old stand in 1915. He also owns the old homestead. Mr. Beecher is a republican in politics.

In 1878 he married Miss Julie Vial, who was born at Ionia, Michigan. They became the parents of three sons, Edward H., city salesman for the National Biscuit Company at Kalamazoo, Michigan; William A., who died in infancy; and James A., who lives at Shipshewana, Indiana. James married Belva Farver, daughter of John Farver, prominent citizen of Northeast Indiana. James A. Beecher and wife had three children: Francis, who was drowned; Julie Catherine; and James A., who is connected with the Oliver Plow Company.

Charles married Julia Vail in 1878.^{1 2} (Julia Vail was born in 1860 in Ionia, Ionia, MI,⁸ died on 5 May 1921 in Howe, LaGrange, IN ^{8 12} and was buried in Howe: Riverside Cemetery, LaGrange, IN ⁸.)