John Kossuth Beatty. Before the Indians had been completely removed from Southeastern Kansas across the line into what is now Oklahoma, the Beatty family established its residence in Montgomery County. It is an old and honored name in this section of the state. It is probable that John K. Beatty, a prominent real estate man of Coffeyville, is the oldest native of Montgomery County still living who has spent his entire active career within the limits of that civil division. To speak of him as being the oldest native son is by no means to credit him with age, since Mr. Beatty is barely in the prime of his active career, and only recently passed his forty-fifth birthday. But forty-five is a long time in the history of such a new country as Southeastern Kansas.
His family has an interesting record of participation in the frontier activities of several American states. His grandfather, Walter Beatty, was born of Scotch-Irish ancestry near Nish in Ireland in 1799. When past middle age in 1850 he brought his family to America and settled in Ohio, and from there a few years later moved to Lynn County, Iowa, near Palo. He was both a farmer and a minister of the Methodist Church. His death occurred in Lynn County, Iowa, in 1877. Walter Beatty married Annie Armstrong, who was born in Ireland and died in Lynn County, Iowa. Their children were: Charles, who was a farmer and stock man and died in Benton County, Iowa, having married Mary McAlester, and two of his brothers also married McAlester sisters; Adam, who is the pioneer Kansan of the family, was the father of John K. Beatty; John, who never married and died on the old home farm in Lynn County, Iowa, February 11, 1916, at the age of eighty; James, who died in Benton County, Iowa, where he was a farmer and stock man, and married Ellen McAlester; Annie, who died on the old farm in Lynn County, Iowa, unmarried.
In the next generation comes Adam Beatty, who was born in March, 1833, in Ireland and was about seventeen years of age when his parents came to Iowa and settled in Ohio. In 1855 he moved out to Lynn County, Iowa, was just entering upon his vigorous young majority at the time and able to take an active part in the pioneer work of farming in the new state. In 1864 Adam Beatty came to Kansas, settling first at Ottawa, and in 1868 going to Montgomery County. He was one of the pioneer cattlemen and farmers of this section, and his operations extended across the line into Indian Territory. Later he bought the old homestead farm, 2½ miles southeast of Coffeyville, comprising 120 acres. This was subsequently increased to 410 acres, and he also owned 200 acres four miles southwest of Coffeyville. All this land is still a part of his estate. He died on his farm 2½ miles southeast of Coffeyville February 15, 1911. Some of his land was also platted as the Beatty addition in the north part of Coffeyville, and he acquired some valuable holdings there. Adam Beatty had the character and personality of a true pioneer. His extensive business interests naturally made him a man of prominence, but he exercised hardly less influence as a citizen. He was distinguished by strict and regular habits, by wholesouled and hearty participation in any line of business he undertook, and also by a striking generosity which led him to loan his money freely to less fortunate men, and he lost many large sums by such liberality. At one time he operated 2,000 acres of ranch land in Oklahoma, and grazed 3,000 head of cattle. It is said that he employed more men in the cattle business than any other individual of Montgomery County. Without having any particular membership in a church, he was a devout Christian with the soul of morálity, and his integrity was never questioned. He took a great deal of interest in political affairs. Originally a republican, he aligned himself with the greenback movement, afterwards with the labor party, at another time with the people’s party, and then became an independent voter. He was one of the first trustees of the Montgomery County High School. Fraternally he was a member of the Masonic order. During the Civil war he enlisted from Iowa in Company H of an Iowa Regiment of Infantry and served one year until discharged on account of disability. While Adam Beatty had attended school only thirty days, he passed among his fellowmen as a person of thorough education, and this was due to the fact that he was almost constantly a student and read widely in the general field of literature.
Adam Beatty married Margaret McAlester, who was born in Ireland in 1846, and came to the United States with her parents when she was eleven years of age. The family first settled in Coshocton County, Ohio, and afterwards moved to Iowa, where she and two of her sisters became wives of three of the Beatty brothers. She died on the old farm near Coffeyville July 17, 1914. Her children were: James Lincoln, who was born at Ottawa, Kansas, and is now a merchant and live stock dealer at Talala, Oklahoma; Ella, who died at Ottawa, Kansas, at the age of two years; Theresa, who was born at Ottawa and is the wife of Robert Pine, living on a farm four miles south of Coffeyville; John K., who together with all the younger children, was born on the home farm near Coffeyville; Charles W., who is in the cattle business and lives at Coffeyville; Amanda, a teacher by profession with home at Coffeyville; Mary, who is unmarried and resides on the old home place; Annie, who died at the age of four years; Addie, wife of Fred W. Moore, a merchant at Coffeyville; Alsonette, who lives with her brother Charles; and three who died in infancy.
John Kossuth Beatty was born on the Beatty homestead, 2½ miles southeast of Coffeyville, January 1, 1871, being born on New Year’s Day, which was Sunday. Reared at home, he spent the first thirty-five years of his life with his parents, and in the meantime attended a public school and the Coffeyville High School. On May 6, 1906, Mr. Beatty moved to Coffeyville and established an office for dealing in real estate. While he has handled extensive tracts on his own account, he has also built up a brokerage business that in volume of sales is one of the largest concerns of its kind in this section of the state. He handles both city property and farm lands in Montgomery County and surrounding counties. His offices are at 114-116 West Ninth Street in Coffeyville. Besides his own residence at 408 Second Street, he owns a number of other residence properties, has a farm of forty acres northwest of Independence, and another of 120 acres in Oklahoma.
Politically Mr. Beatty has always been identified with the democratic party. He is active in the Coffeyville Commercial Club, and is affiliated with Lodge No. 775, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Camp No. 665 of the Modern Woodmen of America.
On August 20, 1913, in Coffeyville he married Mrs. Eva (McCormick) Bruce, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James McCormick, who are now living on their farm near Elk Falls in Elk County, Kansas. By her former marriage Mrs. Beatty had one daughter, Faye, who is now a student in the public schools of Coffeyville.