John Casper Beecher ^{1 2 3}

   Other names for John were Johann Casper Böcher and Johann Casper Bücher.⁴

   FamilySearch ID: L6MF-63S.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Occupation: head forester from 1832 to 1843 in Schwickartshausen, Büdingen, HE, DEU. ⁵

2. He emigrated in 1848 from , , , DEU. ³

3. He immigrated in Jun 1848 to New York, New York, NY. ⁶

4. Moved: 1851, Kansasville, Kenosha, WI. ^{1 3}

5. He was naturalized on 20 Nov 1854 in Kenosha, Kenosha, WI. ^{6 7}

6. Residence: in 1855 in Brighton, Kenosha, WI. ⁸ Head of Families
John C. Boucher, 2 males, 5 females
Phillip Boucher, 1 male, 1 female.

7. Census in 1860 in Dover, Racine, Wisconsin, USA. ⁹ The 1860 census recorded John C. Beecher, postmaster, 52, living with wife Rebecca, 50; daughter Mary, 17; and son Gustavus, 14. Everyone was born in Hessen Darmstadt (Germany). Their real estate was valued at $2,000 and personal estate $100, and oddly this is listed next to Rebecca and not John.
On the same census page is Phillip Beecher, farmer, 28, with wife Catharine, 22; Eliza, 6; Emilie, 4; and Louis, 1. The parents were born in Hessen Darmstadt and children in Wisconsin. Phillip's real estate was valued at $800.
Their post office name appears to be "Pen Yan".

8. Occupation: postmaster on 15 May 1863 in Kansasville, Kenosha, WI. ¹⁰

9. Occupation: postmaster, salary $210 in 1873 in Kansasville, Kenosha, WI. ¹¹

10. Book: The History of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin, 1879. ⁵
J. C. BECHER, farmer; P. O. Dover; was born in the village of Schnickartshausen Grand Duchy of Hesse Darmstadt, Dec. 22, 1810 [note: his baptism record states he was born in 1811], where his father was head forester; attended the village school from his 6th to 14th year; then a gymnasium until his 19th year, when he enlisted as a volunteer in the Hessian army. In 1832, at his father's request, was appointed his assistant. In 1833 his father was placed on a retiring pension and he succeeded in the office which he held until 1843. Then the present Czar, Alexander of Russia (then Crown Prince), married Princess Maria, of Hesse Darmstadt. The Crown Prince had in his suite several Russian princes, and others of noble extraction, one of whom Baron Theodore Upgernsternberg, needing a skilled forester, made Mr. Becher a good offer of a position, which he accepted, after obtaining permission from the Hessian Government. Remained in that position until the Baron was killed in a duel, and being unmarried, his whole possessions on the Island of Dago in the Baltic Sea, went to his mother and younger brothers, and Mr. Becher was thrown out of his office. He returned to Germany, with difficulty obtaining a passport, as he was suspected by the Government of having assisted the person who had killed his employer to escape. On the contrary, Mr. B. had attempted unsuccessfully to secure his arrest. Finally De Caster de Tersac, a French professor in the University of Reval, secured for him a passport from the Governor of Riga. Reaching Germany, he could not obtain his former position, and had such indefinite promises of another, that he sold his property there and embarked for Russia, via River Rhine and Rotterdam, to London. There friends persuaded him to come to the United States instead, and after a voyage of twenty eight days, landed in New York. Went thence to Milwaukee, where, through distrust of all who advised him, he lost opportunities of buying cheap property. Concluded to buy land in the town of Brighton, of Mr. John Ide. Six acres of it were broken, and on it was an old log cabin, in which he and his family lived through the severe winter of 1848-49. Money gave out, and he sold mathematical instruments, six gold watches, and six guns, for half their value, to buy farming stock and implements. Remained there until 1855, then tried hotel-keeping in Racine, which was no business for him, and he returned the next year to the farm. In May, 1856, bought a house and lot in what is now Kansasville. Kept country store with Mr. John Walter, who had just arrived from Germany; failed and lost everything. The same year was a pioneer of Dover; bought land for $1,400 but it had been mortgaged and he lost it all. Mr B. has been fourteen years Postmaster, ten years express agent, and twenty years station agent at Dover. He married on Saturday, June 30, 1832, Rebecca Lenz, daughter of Adam Lenz, in the village Ekhardsborn by Rev. Dr. Krom in the church at Schweskartshausen; they had six children, two sons and four daughters \emdash Philip, born March 3, 1833; Ottilie, Jan. 1, 1836; Lisette, Aug. 10, 1838; Amelia, Sept. 20, 1840; Mary, Sept. 30, 1842; Gustav, Nov. 15, 1845.

11. Census in 1880 in Dover, Racine, Wisconsin, USA. ¹² The 1880 census recorded John C. Beecher, notary public, 68, living with wife Rebecka, invalid, 66; and granddaughter Augusta, housekeeper, 15. John and Rebecka and their parents were born in Prussia, as well as Augusta's parents. Augusta was born in Illinois.
On the same census page is Gus Beecher, farmer, 34, living with wife Mary A.; son Edwin, 11; daughter Rozett, 9; daughter Lorette, 8; daughter Clarabell, 7; son George, 5; daughter Stella M., 4; son Frank, 2; and daughter Berl, 3 months old born in February 1880. Gus and his parents were born in Prussia. Mary and her parents were born in England. The children were born in Wisconsin.

12. Moved: Aug 1882, Kenosha, Kenosha, WI. ³

13. Obituary: Kenosha Telegraph: obituary of John C. Beecher on 27 Oct 1882 in Kenosha, Kenosha, WI. ³ In this city, on the 20th of October, 1882, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Chas. Syrich, of kidney disease, Mr. John C. Beecher of Kansasville, Racine county, at the age of 71 years.

Deceased and his wife came to this city about two months ago to visit their daughter, but he was stricken down and died.

He emigrated from Germany in the year 1848 and bought government land in Brighton and Kansasville, where he has since resided.

Deceased was a strong Democrat, a regular old Hickory. When the war broke out he gave his son, who was killed in the army. He was always opposed to slavery and did all he could to raise recruits. He held the post office in Kansasville under James Buchanan, A. Lincoln, and U. S. Grant; also was station agent for the Western Union Railroad for 26 years; also held the express agency.

He leaves behind a wife, one son and four daughters, all of whom are married. He was a highly educated man, and held a good many offices, all of which he filled with satisfaction to the people. He was respected by all who knew him.

Racine and Burlington papers please copy.

14. Obituary: Wisconsin State Journal: State News: John C. Beecher of Kansasville, Racine county, who served as postmaster in that place during the administrations of Buchanan, Lincoln, and Grant, died recently at the residence of his daughter in Kenosha, aged 71 years on 1 Nov 1882 in Madison, Dane, WI. ¹³

John married Rebecca Lenz, daughter of Johann Adam Lenz and Rebecca Bachin. (Rebecca Lenz was born on 21 Nov 1813 in Schwickartshausen, Büdingen, HE, DEU ^{14 15}, christened on 26 Nov 1813 in Schwickartshausen, Büdingen, HE, DEU,¹⁵ died on 9 Aug 1893 in Union Grove, Racine, WI ¹⁴ and was buried in Kenosha: Green Ridge Cemetery, Kenosha, WI ¹⁴.)