Alex W. Bealer
Encyclopedia
Alexander Winkler Bealer, III, known as Alex W. Bealer (March 6, 1921–March 17, 1980), was an old-time craftsman
of wood working and blacksmithing from Atlanta
, Georgia
. He authored The Art of Blacksmithing
Old Ways of Working Wood,The Tools That Built America, and The Successful Craftsman..
in Lowndes County
in southern Georgia, but reared in Atlanta, where he graduated in 1938 from Boys High School
, which thereafter closed in 1947. He earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English
at Emory University
in Atlanta. In 1943, during World War II
, he entered the United States Marine Corps
and advanced through the ranks to captain. He was stationed in the Pacific theater and was subsequently recalled for duty during the Korean War
. He made his living as an advertising
executive. Woodworking and writing were hence his avocations.
Bealer wrote wrote The Log Cabin: Homes of the North American Wilderness, a 1978 book with more than two hundred photographs, most taken in the southeastern United States by his friend, Dr. John O. Ellis (1917–2000). It is a study of the importance to frontier development of the log cabin
, first brought to the United States in the 17th century by Swedish
settlers in Delaware
.
An award in Bealer's name is given annually by the Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America for service to the art of blacksmithing.
In 1972 won an Associated Press
award for a television documentary
about the Georgia Cherokee
, forcibly marched over the Trail of Tears
to Indian Territory
, since Oklahoma
, during the 1830s under the administrations of U.S. Presidents Andrew Jackson
and Martin Van Buren
. This volume, Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees and The Trail of Tears, was re-released in 1996 as a children's book. This book was published at a time of renewed interest in the historical plight of Native Americans in the United States
.
The periodical Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South, which was published somewhat irregularly between 1927 and 2006 by the Atlanta History Center
, formerly the Atlanta Historical Society, also had an "Alex Bealer Award", a $100 prize given to the best non-Atlanta article carried by the publication each year.
minister who served in Atlanta, Cartersville
, Thomasville
, and Eastman
, Georgia, as well as Valdosta and Murfreesboro
, Tennessee
. At the time of his death, the grandfather Bealer was the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Blakely
, Georgia. Pastor Bealer died when his namesake grandson was three months old. The Bethel Baptist Association issued this statement on the minister's death: "To one of his cordial nature and liberal spirit, the extensive acquaintance thus gained meant an unusually wide reaching influence, for none who knew him but to feel the kindliness of his life and the potency of his faith." Bealer's parents were A. W. Bealer, Jr., and Mary Louise "May" Bealer. They were listed as twenty-seven and twenty years of age, respectively, in the 1920 census.
Bealer died of a heart attack
eleven days after he had turned fifty-nine while working in his craft shop in the basement of his home in Sandy Springs. His widow is the former Helen Eitel, a native of Chicago, Illinois
. There are five living Bealer children, Alexander, IV (born 1949), of Moorpark
, California
, Janet B. Rodie and Susie B. Duncan, both of Atlanta, Alice Bealer of Townsend
in south Georgia, and Edmund H. Bealer (born 1954) of Sandy Springs
north of Atlanta in Fulton County
. There are nine Bealer grandchildren. He is interred at Arlington Cemetery in Sandy Springs.
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
of wood working and blacksmithing from Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He authored The Art of Blacksmithing
Old Ways of Working Wood,The Tools That Built America, and The Successful Craftsman..
Background
Bealer was born in ValdostaValdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
in Lowndes County
Lowndes County, Georgia
Lowndes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia along the Florida border. It was created December 23, 1825. The 2010 Census showed a population of 109,233...
in southern Georgia, but reared in Atlanta, where he graduated in 1938 from Boys High School
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with interim superintendent Erroll Davis...
, which thereafter closed in 1947. He earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in Atlanta. In 1943, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he entered the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and advanced through the ranks to captain. He was stationed in the Pacific theater and was subsequently recalled for duty during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He made his living as an advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
executive. Woodworking and writing were hence his avocations.
Other Bealer works
Bealer's first book is entitled Picture-Skin Story, a 1957 publication for juveniles.Bealer wrote wrote The Log Cabin: Homes of the North American Wilderness, a 1978 book with more than two hundred photographs, most taken in the southeastern United States by his friend, Dr. John O. Ellis (1917–2000). It is a study of the importance to frontier development of the log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
, first brought to the United States in the 17th century by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
settlers in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
.
An award in Bealer's name is given annually by the Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America for service to the art of blacksmithing.
In 1972 won an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
award for a television documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
about the Georgia Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, forcibly marched over the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
to Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, since Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, during the 1830s under the administrations of U.S. Presidents Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
. This volume, Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees and The Trail of Tears, was re-released in 1996 as a children's book. This book was published at a time of renewed interest in the historical plight of Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
.
The periodical Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South, which was published somewhat irregularly between 1927 and 2006 by the Atlanta History Center
Atlanta History Center
The Atlanta History Center is a history museum located in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia. The Museum was founded in 1926, and currently consists of 12 exhibits. There are also historic gardens and houses located on the grounds, including the Swan House and Tullie Smith Farm...
, formerly the Atlanta Historical Society, also had an "Alex Bealer Award", a $100 prize given to the best non-Atlanta article carried by the publication each year.
Family and death
Bealer's grandfather, Alexander Winkler Bealer, Sr. (1860-June 28, 1921), was a BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister who served in Atlanta, Cartersville
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
, Thomasville
Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The city is the second largest in Southwest Georgia after Albany.The city deems itself the City of Roses and holds an annual Rose Festival. The town features plantations open to the public, a historic downtown, a large...
, and Eastman
Eastman, Georgia
Eastman is a city in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,541 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dodge County...
, Georgia, as well as Valdosta and Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. At the time of his death, the grandfather Bealer was the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Blakely
Blakely, Georgia
Blakely is a town in Early County, Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,068. This town is the county seat of Early County.-Geography:Blakely is located at ....
, Georgia. Pastor Bealer died when his namesake grandson was three months old. The Bethel Baptist Association issued this statement on the minister's death: "To one of his cordial nature and liberal spirit, the extensive acquaintance thus gained meant an unusually wide reaching influence, for none who knew him but to feel the kindliness of his life and the potency of his faith." Bealer's parents were A. W. Bealer, Jr., and Mary Louise "May" Bealer. They were listed as twenty-seven and twenty years of age, respectively, in the 1920 census.
Bealer died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
eleven days after he had turned fifty-nine while working in his craft shop in the basement of his home in Sandy Springs. His widow is the former Helen Eitel, a native of Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. There are five living Bealer children, Alexander, IV (born 1949), of Moorpark
Moorpark, California
Moorpark is a city in Southern California. It was founded in 1900 by Robert Poindexter, presumably named after the moorpark apricots that grew in the area. The city has experienced a great amount of growth since the late 1970s...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Janet B. Rodie and Susie B. Duncan, both of Atlanta, Alice Bealer of Townsend
Townsend, Georgia
Townsend is an unincorporated community in McIntosh County, Georgia, United States. It lies along State Route 57 northwest of the city of Darien, the county seat of McIntosh County. Its elevation is 20 feet . Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 31331....
in south Georgia, and Edmund H. Bealer (born 1954) of Sandy Springs
Sandy Springs, Georgia
Sandy Springs is a city in north Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta. With a 2010 population of 93,853, Sandy Springs is the sixth-largest city in the state and the second-largest city in Metro Atlanta. Sandy Springs is located in north Fulton County, Georgia, just south of...
north of Atlanta in Fulton County
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
. There are nine Bealer grandchildren. He is interred at Arlington Cemetery in Sandy Springs.