Advertisement

Albert Rapier Beardsley

Advertisement

Albert Rapier Beardsley

Birth
Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, USA
Death
15 Jul 1924 (aged 76)
Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana, USA
Burial
Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana, USA
Plot
Section E, Row 29, Baldwin-Beardsley Mausoleum
Memorial ID
View Source
Suggest Edits
6th son and 8th child of Elijah H. and Matilda (Lehman) Beardsley. He moved to Elkhart IN from Dayton OH in 1861 at the age of 14 at the request of his aunt, Rachel (Calhoun) Beardsley to help with her affairs, after the death of his uncle and Rachel's husband, Dr. Havilah Beardsley, who was the founder of Elkhart. He worked as a clerk in a dry goods store and saved enough money to purchase it in 1870. In 1878, he bought the Muzzy Starch Company. He married Elizabeth Baldwin on September 24, 1872 and they had only one child, Ruth, who died about 7 months after she was born in 1880. In 1889, he joined the Miles Medical Company (now Miles Laboratory) and rose to become its general manager in 1890, a position he held until his death. He was elected as an Indiana state representative in 1899 and as a state senator in 1905 and 1907. In 1908, he and his wife commissioned architect E. Hill Turnock to design and build a 3-story mansion on the north bank of the St. Joseph River near the intersection of Main and Beardsley Streets, which was completed in 1910. They named it Ruthmere in honor of their daughter. In 1969, the home was purchased by the Beardsley Foundation, restored to is original condition, and in 1973 it was turned into a museum, where daily guided tours are now given between the months of April and December.
6th son and 8th child of Elijah H. and Matilda (Lehman) Beardsley. He moved to Elkhart IN from Dayton OH in 1861 at the age of 14 at the request of his aunt, Rachel (Calhoun) Beardsley to help with her affairs, after the death of his uncle and Rachel's husband, Dr. Havilah Beardsley, who was the founder of Elkhart. He worked as a clerk in a dry goods store and saved enough money to purchase it in 1870. In 1878, he bought the Muzzy Starch Company. He married Elizabeth Baldwin on September 24, 1872 and they had only one child, Ruth, who died about 7 months after she was born in 1880. In 1889, he joined the Miles Medical Company (now Miles Laboratory) and rose to become its general manager in 1890, a position he held until his death. He was elected as an Indiana state representative in 1899 and as a state senator in 1905 and 1907. In 1908, he and his wife commissioned architect E. Hill Turnock to design and build a 3-story mansion on the north bank of the St. Joseph River near the intersection of Main and Beardsley Streets, which was completed in 1910. They named it Ruthmere in honor of their daughter. In 1969, the home was purchased by the Beardsley Foundation, restored to is original condition, and in 1973 it was turned into a museum, where daily guided tours are now given between the months of April and December.

Family Members

Parents
Spouse
Siblings
Children

Sponsored by Ancestry

Advertisement

See more Beardsley memorials in:

Flower Delivery Sponsor and Remove Ads

Records on Ancestry

Advertisement