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Biography
Johann Gottlieb Beck, known in the United States as John or T. John Beck, was born in Backnang, Württemberg. He came to the United States and he and his wife seem to have lived in or near Trenton, New Jersey in the 1850's, as their first few children were born there. They moved to Evanston around 1856 and eventually settled in Glencoe, Illinois.
His wife was Eva Marguerite (Lades/Lodes); records do not show whether they married before or after coming to the United States. They are buried together in Daggitt Cemetery, Highland Park, Lake County, Illinois.
Birth
John (or T. John) Beck was born and baptized in Backnang, Württemberg.[1] Most records show him as having been born in "Germany" or Prussia, but the 1880 census gives a birth location of Massachusetts, parents born in Prussia. Because the Massachusetts reference only appears once and all other records show Germany or Prussia, he was likely born somewhere in what is now Germany. According to all US records, he was born around 1827. A gravestone shared with his wife Eva shows his birth date as October 10, and the date is recorded as 1837 on FindAGrave.com[2] although if you look at the actual image of the gravestone, it could be either 1827 or 1837. (This kept me from identifying the cemetery records for this couple for some time. Oesting-1 14:55, 21 April 2016 (EDT)) The original baptism record from Backnang shows that he was born the 10th of October, 1827, and baptised on the 14th.
Children
The first census record I found for John and Eva was their 1880 census record in Glencoe, Illinois. John and Eva and their younger children lived in Glencoe in the 1880 Census; John and Eva, "living on a farm at Glencoe"[3], are the ONLY Becks listed in Glencoe in 1880. The Village of Glencoe takes up approximately eight pages of census records for that year. They also had four older children living in Evanston that year; George lived with his wife and children and also his sibling Mary in Evanston, and Charles lived with his wife and also his sibling Louis in Evanston. These two families, and John and Eva's daughter Lucy Beck working as a servant in another household, are the ONLY Becks in Evanston listed in the 1880 Census records per FamilySearch.org.
John and Eva Beck must have lived in or near Trenton, New Jersey in the 1850's, as their first few children were born there. George, who seems to be their firstborn, was born in Trenton September 1, 1852; then Charles was born in Trenton on June 23, 1854; then Mary, born in Trenton on October 4, 1856. Louis, the next known child, was born in Illinois in 1860 and from there on, all the rest of the known children were born in Illinois. The print source below implies that they moved from New Jersey to Illinois around 1856, although I hope they waited for Eva to recover from the birth of Mary.
- 1870 United States Federal Census[4]
- In the 1870 Census, John Beck, a married white male age 40 working as a farmer, lived in New Trier Township, Illinois. With him were his wife Mary (may be wife Eva Marguerite - many Germans had multiple given names) Beck, age 37, born in Prussia; son George age 17; son Charles age 13; son Louis age 11; son John age 8; daughter Lucy age 6; son William age 3; and son James (Jacob?) age less than 1 (born December).
| Name | Role | Gender | Age | Birthplace |
| John Beck | M | 40 | Prussia | |
| Mary Beck | F | 37 | Prussia | |
| George Beck | M | 17 | Illinois | |
| Charles Beck | M | 13 | Illinois | |
| Louis Beck | M | 11 | Illinois | |
| John Beck | M | 8 | Illinois | |
| Lucy Beck | F | 6 | Illinois | |
| William Beck | M | 3 | Illinois | |
| James Beck | M | 0 | Illinois |
From History of Cook County, Illinois: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, 1884:[5]
CHARLES BECK of Beck & Huntoon, hardware dealers, was born in Trenton, N.J., June 23, 1834 (this may be 1854!). He came, when two years of age, with his parents, John and Eva, who were among the first settlers of Evanston, and are now living upon a farm at Glencoe. The subject of this sketch learned his trade with J.S. Heywood, the first tinner to settle in Evanston, and worked for him for fifteen years. In 1872, upon the failure of Mr. Heywood, Mr. Beck continued the business for himself up to March 10, 1883, when he formed a partnership with William Huntoon, under the name of Beck & Huntoon. He is a member of the Evanston Lodge, I. O. O. F.; also of Evanston Gun Club, and Evanston Hose Company. He was married to Miss Emma J. Douglas, of Iowa, December 4, 1878. They have one child, George.
GEORGE BECK was born in Trenton, N.J., September 1, 1852. When five years of age he came to Evanston, Cook County, with his parents, with whom he farmed up to the age of twenty-six, when he engaged in teaming for himself. He came to Evanston in 1878 and has been engaged there in teaming ever since. He married Miss Bertha Beinlick, of Glencoe, Cook County, February 14, 1878, born October 28, 1859. They have two children, Rosa and Eva, and one child deceased, Charles.
- 1880 United States Federal Census[6]
- In the 1880 Census, John Beck, a married white male age 53 working as a farmer, lived in Glencoe, Illinois. With him were his wife Eva L. Beck, age 46, born in Prussia; son John age 17; son William age 13; son Jacob age 11; daughter Margaret age 8; daughter Rosa age 6; and daughter Carrie age 4, all born in Illinois.
| Name | Role | Gender | Age | Birthplace |
| John Beck | Self | M | 53 | Massachusetts, United States |
| Eva L Beck | Wife | F | 46 | Germany |
| John Beck | Son | M | 17 | Illinois, United States |
| William Beck | Son | M | 13 | Illinois, United States |
| Jacob Beck | Son | M | 11 | Illinois, United States |
| Margaret Beck | Daughter | F | 8 | Illinois, United States |
| Rosa Beck | Daughter | F | 6 | Illinois, United States |
| Carrie Beck | Daughter | F | 4 | Illinois, United States |
The 1883 Evanston City Directory[7] gives us the following:
As referenced in their cemetery records, John died in 1893, three years after his wife Eva.
- BECK CHARLES, (Beck & Huntoon,) 707 Davis, h ss Emerson e Ridge av (Probably 1854 Charles)
- Beck George, teamster, h ws Benson av n. Davis (George Beck)
- Beck John, teamster, h ws Benson av n Davis (Father of George??)
- BECK & HUNTOON, (Charles Beck and W. B. Huntoon,) hardware and stoves, 707 Davis (see adv.)
- chas. beck. , w. b. huntoon.
- BECK & HUNTOON,
- DEALERS IN
- Hardware, Stoves and Furnaces
- TIN AND SHEET IRON WORK.
- AGENT FOR FULLER & WARREN CO.'S DIAMOND RANGES
- AND HEATING STOVES. JOBBING IN FURNACE
- WORK A SPECIALTY. ALL WORK' WARRANTED
- AND PROMPTLY ATTENDED TO.
Sources
- ↑ Image of original baptism record from 1827, Lutheran Church in Backnang.
- ↑ FindAGrave.com record for J.G. Beck, created by John Hinks, Feb 22, 2011, Find A Grave Memorial# 65995288.
- ↑ Excerpt from History of Cook County, Illinois: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Alfred Theodore Andreas. A. T. Andreas, 1884 - Cook County (Ill.) - 888 pages. Page 439.
- ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M672-PFY : accessed 21 April 2016), John Beck in household of John Beck, Illinois, United States; citing p. 24, family 164, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,712.
- ↑ History of Cook County, Illinois: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Alfred Theodore Andreas. A. T. Andreas, 1884 - Cook County (Ill.) - 888 pages. Page 439.
- ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXJH-1M9 : accessed 21 April 2016), John Beck, Glencoe, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 228, sheet 528C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0202; FHL microfilm 1,254,202.
- ↑ Full text of "Evanston Directory" https://archive.org/stream/evanstondirect_1883evan/evanstondirect_1883evan_djvu.txt
- Documentation provided in Beck family research by the Cullen descendants and Bernecker family.
