Hon. James S. Beacom

HON. JAMES S. BEACOM, ex-state treasurer and a prominent attorney of Greensburg was born December 9, 1853 in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, son of Henry Conley and his wife, Mar A. (Spear) Beacom. Of his ancestors it is found that John Beacom came from Ireland to the United States; settling in Westmoreland county, where he was paying taxes in 1810. He was the great-grandfather of James S. Beacom. Among his children were John, Jeremiah, Johnston and James, the last named being the subject's grandfather, who died early in life, leaving two sons, Henry Conley and James.

Henry Conley Beacom, father of James S. Beacom, was born in May, 1830, and died November 18, 1904, leaving a widow, Mary A., and five children: James S. Beacom; Angeline, married Thomas F. Hamilton, superintendent of the Gautier Steel works, of Johnston, Pa.; Henry Conley Beacom, a farmer in Iowa; John Wesley Beacom, of Long Branch, Cal.; and Eva, wife of Edgar Hays, cashier of the Union Savings Bank, of Pittsburg, Pa. The father of this family became a member of the Pittsburg conference of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1865, and was a minister until his death. Prior to his ministry he taught school. His wife, Mary A. (Spear) Beacom, is living in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

James S. Beacom obtained in the public schools his primary education, later attending Elderton Academy, and Washington and Jefferson College, from which he graduated in the class of 1880. He was admitted to the bar in Westmoreland county, in 1884, and has since that date practiced most of the time. Politically Mr. Beacom is a staunch Republican, and has been a faithful party worker, engaging in several hotly contested campaigns. He was a loyal supporter of Hon. Matthew S. Quay, United States senator. He was a member of the house of representatives of the legislature of Pennsylvania in the sessions of 1887 and 1901. From May, 1898 to May, 1900, he was state treasurer, in which position he effected some radical changes in the management of that important office, leaving its finances in better shape than for man previous years. In the famous Silver campaign of 1896, in which William McKinley was nominated for president at the Republican national convention at St. Louis, he was one of the delegates at large. In his religious connection he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for many years has been a member of the board of trustees. Mr. Beacom was married, July 17, 1888, to Mary H. Zimmers, of Blairsville, Pennsylvania, who was a graduate of the Blairsville Female Seminary. She is the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Zimmers. Her father was for many years station agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Blairsville, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Beacom have children: Robert Zimmers Beacom, Dorothy, Elizabeth and Virginia.

Source: Page(s) 130-131, History of Westmoreland County, Volume II, Pennsylvania by John N Boucher. New York, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906.
Transcribed February 2006 by Nathan Zipfel for the Westmoreland County History Project
Contributed for use by the Westmoreland County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/)

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