Thomas K. Beecher
Encyclopedia
Thomas K. Beecher was a preacher and the principal of several schools. He was a traveling man, living in many places such as: Litchfield, Connecticut
, Boston, Massachusetts, Cincinnati, Ohio
, and Elmira, New York
. There is a memorial statue built in Elmira, New York
were he spent a large portion of his life. He was a close friend of Mark Twain
and married him to Olivia Langdon Clemens
.
and his wife Harriet Porter. He was one of eleven children, including: Henry Ward
, William, Catherine
, Edward, Mary, George, Harriet Beecher Stowe
, Charles
, Isabella, and James Beecher. In 1826 the family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and then to Cincinnati, Ohio
in 1832. From 1836 to 1839 Beecher began fitting for college in Marietta, Ohio. Then in 1839 he attended college in Jacksonville, Illinois; he graduated in 1843. He then spent a year with his father in Cincinnati and a year with his brother, Henry Ward Beecher
in Indianapolis
, studying theology
. Beecher then spent a year at the Ohio Medical University, as an aid to the professor of chemistry and pharmacy.
In 1854 Beecher moved to Elmira, New York
, to preach at a local church, and, there, became a close friend to the famous author Samuel Clemens, better known as "Mark Twain
." From this time until the completion of his cottage in 1857 he would live at the Gleason Sanitarium on Watercure Hill. Thomas K. Beecher married Olivia Day in 1855; she died a year later. In 1857 Beecher took another wife, Julia Day, cousin of his previous wife and granddaughter of Noah Webster
, the author of Webster's Dictionary
. In 1863 to aid the cause of the Union in the Civil War
, Beecher started a regiment with A. S. Diven, the 107th regiment that would soon be sent to the front. Later, Beecher would aid Colonel Hathaway in raising the 141st regiment and would go into the field with them as a chaplain until 1864. He sailed to South America with depleted health in November 1866, only to return May 1 of 1867 with rejuvenated health. Thomas K. Beecher was intimately involved with teaching and preaching, however, he was also a fan of sports, such as baseball
, target shooting, battledore (similar to bad-mitten), cycling, cricket, and croquet. Beecher also enjoyed euchre
and billiards
.
In 1870, along with the Rev. Joseph Twichell
, he married Samuel Clemens (or "Mark Twain") to Olivia Langdon
.
to preach at the Independent Congregational Church, now known as Park church, bordering the west side of Wisner park on North Main Street. When the attendance to his services became overcrowded, Beecher held the service at the newly constructed opera house, and weather permitting, at Eldridge Park. When Beecher arrived, the church was a moderate sized wooden structure, and after one of his services he held a vote asking the congregation if they felt a new church was necessary, the new church costing fifty-thousand dollars, the vote was almost unanimous and the church received a total pledge of about eighty-thousand dollars. The new church had facilities to host social gatherings and events such as banquets and parties, as well a large hall for children to play in, the church also had a public library started by Beecher with his personal collection of books. The church held two services; one in the morning, the other in the evening (Beecher also ministered to the prisoners of the Elmira Prison Camp), later in life two services became too taxing on Beechers health and the evening service was cancelled. Because of this Beecher formed a club of young men that would meet on Tuesday nights. During the meetings Beecher would ask the boys to report on something interesting they observed during the previous week. By doing this in combination with sending his pupils to mechanics, locomotive shops and other places, he was teaching them to learn through observation.
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
, Boston, Massachusetts, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
. There is a memorial statue built in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
were he spent a large portion of his life. He was a close friend of Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
and married him to Olivia Langdon Clemens
Olivia Langdon Clemens
Olivia Langdon Clemens was the wife of the famous American author, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.-Early life:...
.
Life
Thomas K. Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut to Lyman BeecherLyman Beecher
Lyman Beecher was a Presbyterian minister, American Temperance Society co-founder and leader, and the father of 13 children, many of whom were noted leaders, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Catharine Beecher, and Thomas...
and his wife Harriet Porter. He was one of eleven children, including: Henry Ward
Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century...
, William, Catherine
Catharine Beecher
Catharine Esther Beecher was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on women's education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's education....
, Edward, Mary, George, Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
, Charles
Charles Beecher
Charles Beecher was an American minister, composer of religious hymns, and prolific author.Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, the son of Lyman Beecher, an abolitionist Congregationalist preacher from Boston and Roxana Foote Beecher...
, Isabella, and James Beecher. In 1826 the family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and then to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
in 1832. From 1836 to 1839 Beecher began fitting for college in Marietta, Ohio. Then in 1839 he attended college in Jacksonville, Illinois; he graduated in 1843. He then spent a year with his father in Cincinnati and a year with his brother, Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, studying theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. Beecher then spent a year at the Ohio Medical University, as an aid to the professor of chemistry and pharmacy.
In 1854 Beecher moved to Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, to preach at a local church, and, there, became a close friend to the famous author Samuel Clemens, better known as "Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
." From this time until the completion of his cottage in 1857 he would live at the Gleason Sanitarium on Watercure Hill. Thomas K. Beecher married Olivia Day in 1855; she died a year later. In 1857 Beecher took another wife, Julia Day, cousin of his previous wife and granddaughter of Noah Webster
Noah Webster
Noah Webster was an American educator, lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and prolific author...
, the author of Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary refers to the line of dictionaries first developed by Noah Webster in the early 19th century, and also to numerous unrelated dictionaries that added Webster's name just to share his prestige. The term is a genericized trademark in the U.S.A...
. In 1863 to aid the cause of the Union in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Beecher started a regiment with A. S. Diven, the 107th regiment that would soon be sent to the front. Later, Beecher would aid Colonel Hathaway in raising the 141st regiment and would go into the field with them as a chaplain until 1864. He sailed to South America with depleted health in November 1866, only to return May 1 of 1867 with rejuvenated health. Thomas K. Beecher was intimately involved with teaching and preaching, however, he was also a fan of sports, such as baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, target shooting, battledore (similar to bad-mitten), cycling, cricket, and croquet. Beecher also enjoyed euchre
Euchre
Euchre or eucre, is a trick-taking card game most commonly played with four people in two partnerships with a deck of 24 standard playing cards. It is the game responsible for introducing the joker into modern packs; this was invented around 1860 to act as a top trump or best bower...
and billiards
Billiards
Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
.
In 1870, along with the Rev. Joseph Twichell
Joseph Twichell
Reverend Joseph Hopkins Twichell , writer and pastor, was Mark Twain's closest friend for over forty years, and appears in A Tramp Abroad as "Harris." They met at a church social after the Civil War when Twichell was pastor of Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, his only pastorate for...
, he married Samuel Clemens (or "Mark Twain") to Olivia Langdon
Olivia Langdon Clemens
Olivia Langdon Clemens was the wife of the famous American author, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.-Early life:...
.
Ministry
Beechers father Lyman and his brothers Henry Ward were also ministers, and the family was raised as religious Christians. Beecher was ordained at age 28, and he began his preaching career in Brooklyn, in the suburb of Williamsburg. In 1854 Beecher would venture to the town of Elmira, New YorkElmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
to preach at the Independent Congregational Church, now known as Park church, bordering the west side of Wisner park on North Main Street. When the attendance to his services became overcrowded, Beecher held the service at the newly constructed opera house, and weather permitting, at Eldridge Park. When Beecher arrived, the church was a moderate sized wooden structure, and after one of his services he held a vote asking the congregation if they felt a new church was necessary, the new church costing fifty-thousand dollars, the vote was almost unanimous and the church received a total pledge of about eighty-thousand dollars. The new church had facilities to host social gatherings and events such as banquets and parties, as well a large hall for children to play in, the church also had a public library started by Beecher with his personal collection of books. The church held two services; one in the morning, the other in the evening (Beecher also ministered to the prisoners of the Elmira Prison Camp), later in life two services became too taxing on Beechers health and the evening service was cancelled. Because of this Beecher formed a club of young men that would meet on Tuesday nights. During the meetings Beecher would ask the boys to report on something interesting they observed during the previous week. By doing this in combination with sending his pupils to mechanics, locomotive shops and other places, he was teaching them to learn through observation.
Work as a teacher
- Thomas K. Beecher worked in several educational institutions. In 1846 he became the principal of the North-East Grammar School in Philadelphia. Then from 1848 to 1851 he was the head of the High School in Hartford Connecticut. During his preaching career in Elmira, New York Beecher was the head of the Sunday school run by the Park Church, which had about seven-hundred members ages five to past fifty.
Thomas K. Beecher home on Watercure Hill
- When Thomas K. Beecher arrived in Elmira in 1854, he took residence at the Gleason Sanitarium on Watercure Hill. in 1857, a cottage was built for him near the Sanitarium. It was a Victorian home with its own library; it had an artesian well in the basement where Beecher would take plunge baths. The home was renovated by Thomas and Cathleen Minnotti.
Death
- Thomas k. Beecher died March 14th, 1900. At his funeral service both a Priest and a Rabbi spoke. A statue in his honor is present at Wisner Park. There is a school named after him, T.K. Beecher Elementary School, Located in Elmira, New York. His wife Julia survived him.
External links
- Beecher familyBeecher familyOriginating in New England, one particular Beecher family in the 19th century was a political family notable for issues of religion, civil rights, and social reform. Notable members of the family include clergy , educators, authors and artists. Many of the family were Yale-educated and advocated...
Beecher Family - Lyman BeecherLyman BeecherLyman Beecher was a Presbyterian minister, American Temperance Society co-founder and leader, and the father of 13 children, many of whom were noted leaders, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Catharine Beecher, and Thomas...
Lyman Beecher - Catharine BeecherCatharine BeecherCatharine Esther Beecher was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on women's education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's education....
Catharine Beecher - Edward BeecherEdward BeecherEdward Beecher was a noted theologian, the son of Lyman Beecher and the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher. He was born August 27, 1803 in East Hampton, New York. He graduated from Yale College in 1822. After this he studied theology at Andover. In 1826, he became the pastor...
Edward Beecher - Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
Harriet Beecher Stowe - Henry Ward BeecherHenry Ward BeecherHenry Ward Beecher was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century...
Henry Ward Beecher - Isabella Beecher HookerIsabella Beecher HookerIsabella Beecher Hooker was a leader in the women's suffrage movement and an author.-Biography:Born in Litchfield, Connecticut, she was a daughter of Reverend Lyman Beecher, a noted abolitionist. Among her half brothers and sisters were Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Catharine Beecher, and...
Isabella Beecher Hooker - Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
Mark Twain - Olivia Langdon ClemensOlivia Langdon ClemensOlivia Langdon Clemens was the wife of the famous American author, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.-Early life:...
Olivia Langdon