PEOPLE
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
B. B. Beaird
Was born in Bibb county, Alabama, August 1, 1840. His parents were Benjamin and Caroline C. Beaird. His mother's maiden name was Miss Caroline C. McCullars. His father was born about the year 1794 and mother about 1798; moved to Alabama with their parents at a very early day, married there when quite young and moved from Alabama to Texas in 1846 and established a country home in Shelby county. They both died at Tyler, Smith county, Texas, about 1870. They reared a family of fourteen children - ten sons and four daughters, only three of whom, two sons and a daughter, are now living.
The subject of this notice, Hon. B. B. Beaird, worked on his father's farm and attended local schools until the beginning of the late war; enlisted in the Confederate army as a soldier in Company D., 15th Texas Infantry, Polignac's Brigade, for service in the Trans-Mississippi department; participated in the battles of Burbo, Forduche, Mansfield (where he was slightly wounded), Pleasant Hill, Yellow Bayou and other engagements incident to Banks' Red River campaign; first became Third Corporal of his company and finally color bearer of his regiment; after the war taught school, farmed, ran a saw mill and read law, in the order named, and was admitted to the bar, in 1887, at Tyler, Texas, to which place he moved from Dallas, Texas, in 1850.
The first public position that he filled was that of school trustee in Smith county. Later he was elected and served at various times as County Commissioner, County Judge and Superintendent of Public Schools of Smith county, filling the latter position from November, 1886, to 1894, was elected to the Twenty-fourth Legislature from the Twenty-fourth district, composed of the counties of Smith, Upshur and Camp, and in 1896 was re-elected to the House of the Twenty-fifth Legislature, in which body he is Chairman of the Committee on County Government and County Finances, and a member of the following committees: Internal Improvements, Towns and City Corporations, and Constitutional Amendments.
Among other views that he holds, he is opposed to the granting of charters to corporations for the conduct of any business or enterprise that can be transacted or successfully carried forward by private individuals. Mr. Beaird has attended Democratic district, congressional and state conventions during the past sixteen years and been an active worker for party supremacy both as a public speaker and editorial writer. He now owns and is editor of the "Argent," an influential weekly newspaper published at Tyler.
He was married in Smith county, Texas, December 14, 1865, to Miss Mary Ann Adams, daughter of J. J. Adams, a well known farmer of that county, and has eight children.
Judge Beaird is a member of the M. E. Church, South, and I. O. O. F. fraternity.
His career both as a lawyer and newspaper editor and publisher has been marked by a large measure of success.
Source: Transcription from the book, Texas State Government, a Volume of Biographical Sketches and Passing Comment, by E. H. Loughery, published in 1897; located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org), accessed 24 October 2024.
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