Peter Beller (1800 - 1862)

Born 1 Nov 1800 in North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 May 1862 at age 61 in Arkansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ronald Prentice [send private message]

Biography

Peter Beller was born 1 Nov 1800 in Stokes Co., North Carolina, the son of Eli Beller and Mary Campbell.

He married Evaline Campbell 30 May 1829 in Madison Co., Alabama.^[1] They were the parents of several children, most born in after their move to Arkansas:^[2][3]

1. Mary E. Beller (b. AL)
2. Virginia A. Beller (b. AL)
3. Lydia M. Beller
4. Manda Beller
5. Peter C. Beller
6. John M. Beller
7. William E. Beller
8. Lucinda Ellen Beller
9. James Kirkpatrick K.P. Beller
10. Malinda C. Beller
11. Arkansas Berry Beller
12. Nancy Ellen Beller

Peter died 8 May 1862 and is buried in Boone Co., Arkansas.

Community School
"went to school at Peter Bellers where there was a small house used for school purposes. The teacher wife was name Evaline. Some of my school mates who attended this school were Caroline Nichols, Francis Beller and Virginia Beller, Bob Capps, John Eoff and Charley Mitchell son of Col. Bill Mitchell." ~ Mr. Eoff to S.C. Turnbo^[4]

Washington Monument
Peter Beller moved to Arkansas about 1833 and established his homestead and water driven mill near Marble Falls in Newton County. Likely about 1849 he and the Harp brothers sent a piece of Marble from the area for Arkansas' contribution to the Washington Monument.

Marble Quarry Monument

"The 1954 commemorative marker’s ambiguous language refers to the Beller and Harp brothers. Peter Beller, who established a mill on nearby Mill Creek in 1840, has always received credit for quarrying the slab. However, his brother Elijah Beller, a stone mason and tombstone carver living in Arkansas in the mid-1830s and again after 1848, may well have participated. The Harp brothers were William, Samuel, and Elijah Harp. The 1836 start date is further invalidated by the fact that Elijah (Harp)—who would have been ten years old in 1836—did not arrive in the Buffalo River valley until 1844. Another family history adds James Adair to this list, also stating that the stone was quarried in the late 1840s." ~ Encyclopedia of Arkansas^[5]

Amusement Park
The land homesteaded by Beller, either including his tract or adjacent to his tract, including the stream used to power his mill, was famously part of the now defunct "Dogpatch USA" theme park which operated from 1968 to 1993. The site is now owned by a well-known developer who has other successful attractions in the region, and plans for eco-tourism featuring the stream.^[6]

WATCH|Johnny Morris unveils plans for the former Dogpatch USA theme park KY3 Oct. 27, 2021

Sources

1. ↑ "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZVC-NVL : 19 February 2021), Peter Ballen and Evelina Campbell, 30 May 1829; citing Madison, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,305,696.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M67C-M7F : 20 December 2020), Peter Bellar, Jefferson, Arkansas, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M87T-3QV : 18 February 2021), Peter Beller, 1860.
4. ↑ Turnbo, Silas Claiborne. A FEW NAMES OF THE PIONEER SETTLERS ON THE LEFT PRONG OF CROOKED CREEK AND VICINITY, The Turnbo Manuscripts, Springfield-Greene County Library, https://thelibrary.org/lochist/turnbo/V19/ST588.html. The Silas Turnbo manuscripts are a collection of approximately eight hundred short tales, stories and vignettes that reflect life along the White River Valley in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri during the latter half of the 19th century.
5. ↑ Burnett, Abby. “Washington Monument Marble Quarry.” Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 12 Nov. 2019, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/washington-monument-marble-quarry-14025/.
6. ↑ Bowden, Bill. “Bass Pro Founder Buys Dogpatch Theme Park.” Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 4 Aug. 2020, https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/aug/04/bass-pro-buys-dogpatch/.

• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHG2-NP6 : 20 February 2021), Peter Beller, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States; citing 228, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 177; FHL microfilm 24,535.

See Also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #21514771