My Genealogy Hound

MILTON E. BEEBE, architect and superintendent, of Fredonia, and who was the candidate against Grover Cleveland, in 1881, for mayor of Buffalo, is a son of Justus T. and Harriet C. (Quigley) Beebe, and was born at Cassadaga, Chautauqua county, New York, November 27, 1840. His paternal grandfather, Abel Beebe, was a native of Connecticut, and was one of the first white settlers on the site of Buffalo, where he purchased, in 1800, a tract of land called “Cold Springs.” He afterwards sold this land, and purchased and cleared out a heavily timbered farm on the shore of Lake Cassadaga, in this county, where he reared a family of four sons and three daughters: Delos, James, Justus T., Cyrenus C., Locena, Elvira and Lucy. Justus T. Beebe (father) was born in Cassadaga, December 27, 1811, and died in Cassadaga, December 5, 1886. He owned a small farm and married Harriet C. Quigley, who is now living. They had two sons and two daughters: Milton E., Laura A., Francis M. and Helen M.

Milton E. Beebe received his education in the three months winter school of his town and Fredonia academy, which he attended during one term. At an early age he exhibited considerable talent for music, as well as a taste for drawing and mechanical construction. At sixteen years of age he went to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner with Levi Totman, and in a short time was sufficient master of his trade to engage in carpentry for himself at Cassadaga and other places. At nineteen years of age he commenced teaching in the winter schools, and when the late war broke out, he enlisted in the 9th N. Y. Cavalry. He served at New York and Washington cities until 1862, then was assigned to Col. Hunt’s artillery, participated in the Peninsular Campaign until the battle of Fair Oaks, when his command was ordered to Washington City, where he took typhoid fever, and after his recovery was discharged for physical disability, which prevented his re-enlistment afterwards. Returning home, in connection with his trade, he took up the study of architecture, which he pursued from 1865 to 1873, under leading architects in the cities of Buffalo, Chicago, New York, and Worcester, Mass. In 1873 he established himself at Buffalo as an architect, and among the important buildings that he has designed and built are the post office building at Buffalo, the court-houses of Cambria, Huntingdon and Warren counties, Pa., and Niagara county, N. Y., each costing one hundred thousand dollars; the Board of Trade building at Buffalo, costing one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and the Miller and Greiner buildings, costing one hundred thousand dollars each; Manufacturer and Traders Bank building. Agency building, Tucker’s Iron building, John C. Jewett’s building, Zink & Hatch office building, and J. M. Richmond’s building, each costing upwards of one hundred thousand dollars, besides many costly churches and fine private residences. He has also just completed one of the finest court-houses in the country, at Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Pa., costing about three hundred thousand dollars. In 1885 he came to Fredonia, and purchased the old Gen. Risley place, where he has one of the finest and best furnished residences of the town. He is still actively engaged in his profession, with offices in Buffalo.

November 5, 1862, he married Rosina, daughter of Sawyer, and sister to Prof. Philip Phillips, the noted singer. They have one child, a son, Harry P., who was born May 15, 1865, and is now engaged in architectural work with his father.

In politics Mr. Beebe is a zealous republican. In 1879 he was elected alderman in the second ward of Buffalo, and upon the organization of the board, was made its president, which was an unusual honor to be conferred on a new member. He was re-elected and re-appointed the next year to the same position, and in 188l was nominated by acclamation as the republican candidate for mayor of Buffalo, but it was a year of adverse fate for the republicans in New York, and Mr. Beebe, although popular, went down with many other prominent candidates of his party. He was defeated for mayor by Grover Cleveland, whose political good fortunes that carried him to the presidential chair were born in his success at that election. Mr. Beebe is a member of Bidwell Wilkinson Post, No. 9, Grand Army of the Republic, and Queen City Lodge, No. 358, Free and Accepted Masons; is now Eminent Commander of Hugh de Payens Commandery, No. 30, Knights Templar, stationed at Buffalo, N. Y., and is a Past Grand Master of the A. O. U. W., of the State of New York.