Surnames: BECKETT BROSIER WATT HARRIS FICHTER SHAFER REILLY MARTIN LAURIE RIGDON Memoirs of the Miami Valley, Vol III, 1919 pages 50/51 Charles L. Beckett. Butler-county has many fine farms, and they are owned to a large extent by members of old families of the Miami valley. In Hanover township, a part of the old Beckett farm is owned by Charles L. Beckett, one of the enterprising and well-to-do agriculturists of this locality. Mr. Beckett has been the architect of his own fortunes, and has earned his present possessions through honest effort, ordinary prudence and the exercise of natural good judgment. He was born on the homestead place in Hanover township, and is the only son of John C. and Sarah L. (Brosier) Beckett. Educated in the local schools, when he laid aside his studies he began working for his father, but after his marriage, in 1893, began farming on his own account on his present property, a farm of ninety-one acres, which he purchased from his parents. Here he has been successful in his operations as a farmer and raiser of live stock, and has taken much pride in his surroundings, his buildings ! of all kinds being attractive and substantial. A friend of the public schools, he has served efficiently in the capacity of member of the board of education, and his good citizenship was also shown when he acted as captain in war drives. With his family, he belongs to the Methodist church. Mr. Beckett was married in 1893 to Mamie A., daughter of Robert and Martha E. (Watt) Harris, farming people of Milford township, Butler county, Mr. Harris being a Union veteran or the Civil war. Mrs. Beckett has one brother, Alva, who is engaged in farming in Hanover township. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beckett: Nellie E., formerly a student at Miami university, who is now engaged in teaching school and is becoming very popular as an educator; Orveda, who attended school at Miami university, and is now the wife of Joseph W. Fichter, principal of Hanover township centralized school, with one child, Jean Marie; Marguerite, who is the wife of Charles Shafer, engaged in farmi! ng in Hanover township, with one daughter, Sarah Jane; and John, who is assisting his father in the cultivation of the home farm. The children have been carefully reared and well educated, and have gone to fill stations in life in which they are reflecting credit upon their parents and their community. The Beckett Paper Company. In order to present the facts regarding the inception of the Beckett Paper company, it is necessary to delve nearly three-quarters or a century into the business history of Hamilton. In the year 1848, one Reilly, from the east, came to Hamilton and secured a site at the corner of Buckeye and Lowell streets, where he commenced the construction of a paper mill. With him, Reilly brought two millwrights, John L. and Frank Martin, and a Scotch paper maker, Adam Laurie. The two Martins had charge of the erection of the structure and it was stipulated that Laurie was to run the mill after its completion. However, when not much more than the foundations had been completed, Reilly got into financial difficulties, failed, quit the town and left the Martins and Laurie stranded. These men consulted William Beckett at that time a successful practicing attorney of Hamilton with the result that Mr. Beckett interested F. D. Rigdon, another Hamilton lawyer, and the! y, with the Martins, formed what proved to be the beginning of the present Beckett Paper company, under the firm style of Beckett, Martin & Rigdon. Adam Laurie was retained as foreman. In 1850 Mr. Beckett purchased the interests of the two Martins and the firm style was changed to Beckett & Rigdon. Two years later a second machine was added, the business having grown to such an extent that such a move was found necessary, and in 1854 Adam Laurie bought an eighth interest in the concern. In 1862 or 1863 Mr. Rigdon retired, the firm style at that time becoming Beckett & Laurie, and this later was changed to Beckett, Laurie & company when Adam Laurie, jr., in 1870, was taken into partnership. Under their auspices, Thomas Beckett had his training, and in 1885 he was taken into the firm. The Becketts then bought the Laurie interests and at that time the Beckett Paper company was incorporated with $100,000 capital. The mill was subsequently rebuilt, new machines and engines were i! nstalled which had been built by Hamilton concerns, and from that time on the business grew steadily. Improvements continued to be made, however, in paper making machinery and several years ago Mr. Beckett again decided to reconstruct the entire mill. This was done in 1906, the old machinery being entirely scrapped and the building razed to make room for the present structure. At the present time the Beckett Paper company has the finest equipment of its kind to be found in the country, and the purchase of this large amount of machinery from Hamilton companies attested to the worth of their product installed twenty years earlier. In 1913 a third story was added to the mill to enable the company to take care of the rapidly growing business and the end is not yet. The company lost heavily in the flood of March, 1913, but was able to resume operations in April, and at that time a "Flood Bulletin" was sent to the company's customers and dealers all over the country, in which occu! rred these words: "We got pretty wet when the Miami rose last March. It was eight feet deep on the main floor. But it did not get high enough to dampen our enthusiasm." Which may be called a pretty good Butler county sentiment. -- Gary KingBatavia IL     Researching in Knox, Licking, Perry Counties, OHIO: Butcher, Crotinger, Davis, McClurg, Wheatcraft, Cooperrider, Beckenbaugh, Neighbarger, Catt, WilkinIn Butler Co., Ohio: Stahlheber, Kippenberger, Beiser, Pater, KingIn Clermont Co., Ohio:    King, Bartlett, Hall, Aylward.In Botetourt Co. Virginia: King, Bean, Dooley, Mayo, Fouts/Foutz/FoutIn McLean Co., Illinois: Crotinger, Mickens, Bierbower, Jones, Buck.In Kane Co. Illinois:   Gustafson, Maier, Butcher, Keifer, LindgrenVolunteer of Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness at http://www.raogk.org/