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FoLKI.ORe ehliE rIO-kiSkaiS
hiss Effie Cowan, P. O.
McLennan County, Texas
Dietriot ha. 8.
No of words 1,000
File /Jo. 240
Page A3
eLtiXeenkThte iitea°14, Gem hill, (near Corsicana,) Texas.
iiajor Alexander 1308ttOn. was born at Inverness, Inverness—shire,
the most beautiful and romantio part of the Mighlands of Scotland,
February 19, 1820. his parents, Donald and Margaret (Beaton) Beaton,
died when he was in his thirteenth year. He received an academic edu—
cation in his native town, and. in
city of London, Eland, where he
where he remaired for six years.
London, hn witnessed the grandest
his seventeenth year was sent to the
entered the office of an accountant,
Shortly after his first arrival in
sight and pageant of his life, the
coronation ef Queen Victoria. He •came to the United States in 1843,
in Uoverber of that year landing at Vey Orleans where, until 1844, he
filled a position eecured by him before he left London. Re left ,Lew
erleane at the beginning of the yellow fever epidemic in 184e, the
local physicians and newspapere advising all =acclimated persons to
pursue that course. he went from hew Orleans to St. Louis and from
the latter city to Bolivar, Polk County, eo., where he taught school
and read law until 1847 in the office of Colonel Thames Ruffin, who
was then known as one among the leading members of the bar in South—
east nissouri. In the summer of that year a call was made on the
State of eisnouri to raise her Third Regiment of eounted Volunteers
for service in exico, and Major Beaton volunteered for service dur—
ing the war nnd became a member of Company K. of said regiment. 01.
Rails, of Rolls County, Mo., was afterwards elected Colonel of the
regiment, which, after being duly equipped and made ready for service at
FOLKLORE WHITE PIONEERS File No. 240
Page No. 2
MiRS Effie Cowan, P. W.
McLennan County, Texas
District N. 8.
Fort Leavenworth, now in the State of Kansas, started on its march
across the plains in July, 1847, to Santa Fe, New kexico, where it
took the place of Gen. Price's command, whose term of service had
expired. Major eaton went to laos, New biexico, with three companies
of the regiment and remained there, doing duty as acting adoutant of
the battalion, until the end of the war, when he returned to Inde—
pendence, Mo., with the entire regimental command, where with his
fellow —soldiers he was, in the fall of 1848, honorably discharged
from the service. He now draws a pension of 08.00 per month as a
Mexican war veteran from the United States government. Shortly af—
ter his discharge from the army, he and Col. Ruffin came to Texas,
stopping at Houston for a brief period and then took a look at the
town of Washington on the Brazos, which was much spoken of at the
time and believed by many to be destined for the dignity of a city
of importance at some time. They afterwards visited and resided,
for varying periods, at Brenham, Chappel Hill, and Richmond, Colonel
Ruffin locating at the latter place. Major Beaton during his sojourn
at Chappel Hill taught school for a few months.
He arrived at Corsicana on the 16th of March, 1850, then a small
frontier village of about one hundred inhabitants, and has since re—
sided in and near that place. In a short time after his arrival he
was employed in the County Clerk's office and was later appointed to
fill the unexpired term of a former incumbent of the office of County
Assessor and Collector of taxes and, while so engaged, industriously
applied hillself to the study of law. He was admitted to the bar
FOL4LORY, PIONSIAS
Aims sfrie Cowan, P. W
McLennan County, Texas
District No. 8.
File Va. 240
Page io. 3
in 1851, license being granted by Hon. 0. U. Roberts, the presiding
judge, afterwards Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court, Governor
of Texar, and later, senior law professor in the University of Texas.
Major neton afterwards, for a period of over thirty years, engaged
in the practice of the profession, before and after the war for some
years as a ce—partner of the now distinguished statesman, Hon. R. Q.
Uills, and since that time, until about ten years ago, when he re—
tired from active pursuits to his "Gem Hillw home, near the city of
Corsicana.
He has borne a conspicuous and helpfUl part in the upbuilding of
Corsicana. The start in the making of Corsicana as a city was his
sucoessful effort in getting a depot of the Houston and Texas Central
Railway located at the town in 1871. In the attainment of this ob—
ject he was ably assisted by Mr. James Kerr, Sr., and Colonel William
Croft. In honor of his services and liberality, without any desire
or asking for it on his part, the people named the principal street
in the city, Beaton Street, in his honor. Le has been a life—long
Democrat and has done good service for the party and for the cause of
honest and accountable government. His fore —fathers for many gener—
ations were members of the Presbyterian Church, which with Galvanism
and authoritative teaching he could not agree. He now worships with
his wife in the Jaethodist Church, whose tenets and beliefs are more
in aecord Nith his own
As previously stated, ilajor Beaton retired from active business
and professional pursuits more than ten years ago and moved to his
F(4,ALORE FI0a1414i$ Filb No. 240
Page No, 4
Miss Effie Cowan, F. I.
McLennan County, Texas
District No. 8.
residence, 6Ge)11 Hill,' which overlooks the city of Corsicana and is one
of the most exquisitely beautiful and well appointed country —seats in
the South.
July 11, 1852, he married Elizabeth J. lacKinney, daughter of Rev.
Hampton McKinney,.a famous pioneer and Methodist Episcopal preacher of
Davarro County, who moved to this State from Illinois. Lajor and Lrs.
ieaton have three children, two sons and a daughter. Their eldest son,
Ralph, is a member of the firm of Damon, Beaton Company, of Corsicana.
Their only daughter, aary tate, is the wife of Dr. S. a. Johnson, of
that city. aajor Beaton was made a Master Mason in 1850 by General
E. a. Tarrant, joining the first lodge organised in Corsicana. joz'
Beaton has won considerable distinction as an amateur geologist and
investigator of the natural sciences, for which he has always possessed
a passionate fondness and followed with a quiet and never flagging
zeal. He has contributed many valuable articles (that have been r:idely
copied) to magazines. The following telegram of April 29, 1895, from
Austin, Texas, to the Dallas —Galveston Mows fitly illustrates the
interest he feels in the cause of scientific progress: It may not be
generally knorn that a few weeks since the University of Texas came
into the possesflan of the valuable and unique cabinet of minerals col—
lected by on. Alexander Beaton, of Corsicana, on his home place, known
as °Gem Hill*, situated about a mile south of the town.
1,11ajor Beaton has long been a student of nature and, being im—
pressed tl!itil the remarkable beauty and purity of the drift —minerals
found in the fields near the house, he took the pains to have many of