My Genealogy Hound

William H. Beede, farmer and stock-raiser of Cow Lake Township, residing five miles southeast of Layton, was born in Orange County, N. Y., in 1837, being the son of Addison C. Beede, of Vermont, and Elizabeth (Weygant) Beede, of New York nativity. William H. received his education partly in the public schools of his native county, and finished his education at Newburgh. At the age of seventeen, he was apprenticed to the carriage workers’ trade, to Mr. Theodore Weygant, Highland Mills, Orange County, N. Y. At the breaking out of the late war, he was working at his trade in Germantown, Tenn.; he enlisted in the Thirteenth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, Confederate States Army, participating in the battles of Belmont and Shiloh, and after one year was discharged on account of physical disability. Returning to Tennessee, he worked at his trade, till he came to Arkansas, in 1867; that year he bought 280 acres of land in Woodruff County, about ten acres being cultivated; he at once commenced improving and clearing the land, building stables and cribs, besides a log house. He remained there one year, when he came to Jackson County, purchased 160 acres of land, only eight being under cultivation. Since that time he has cleared and improved the land, and erected a good frame house, and other buildings. He now owns 550 acres of land, 140 of which are under cultivation, having deeded 160 acres to his eldest son, after his marriage. August 20, 1867, Mr. Beede married Miss M. J. Nance; they have had nine children: Julane N., born July 11, 1868; Jasper Newton, born September 3, 1869; William W., born September, 1870; Macy, born February 28, 1874; Joseph A., born May 6, 1875; Francis W., born March 2, 1877; Fletcher H., born September 19, 1880; Eugene A., born November 4, 1882, and Amelia Viola, born September 18, 1883. Mr. Beede is a great friend to education, and was the first school director in Cow Lake Township, and for four years the only one, and since 1874 had been superintendent of schools for the State. There are now four free schools in Cow Lake Township.