Month: October 2019

Lina Beecher – Medina’s inventor and adventurer

The Fall 2019 Bugle Newsletter has an article on the novel Beecher Railroad invented by Lina Beecher, a long time Medina resident. But the railroad was only one story out of dozens that can be told about Mr. Beecher. The following article from 1915 outlines some of his adventures, accomplishments and failures.

from THE DAILY JOURNAL, Thursday October 7, 1915

DEATH OF CAPTAIN LINA BEECHER

Was a Noted Citizen of Medina – A Varied Career.

Captain Lina Beecher, one of the most renowned citizens of Medina, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Mark Clark, of Lapear, Michigan, yesterday, at the age of seventy-five. Although born in Genesee county, he came to Medina as a boy, and the greater part of his life was passed in this vicinity, where he engaged in various enterprises, promoted all sorts of schemes and became active in inventions, lotteries and athletics.

Captain Beecher, who was one of the finest looking of men, straight as an arrow, and a born athlete, engaged in all manner of races and contests, and when the Civil war broke out organized a cavalry company, and served during the entire war as captain of a company of the Third New York Cavalry. He distinguished himself many times for his bravery, and was twice captured, by the enemy, serving some time in Libby prison, and later was traded, only to again assume charge of his command. The second time he was captured, he jumped from the train conveying the prisoners to prison, and was shot, but escaped. At the close of the war, he was honored for repeated acts of bravery, and is said to have been the recipient of praise by the Corps officers for his heroism, having no less than fourteen wounds from bullets or swords.

Soon after the war, he engaged in athletics, and became top champion professional half-mile runner of the world, and was a familiar figure at fairs and races throughout the state for a number of years.

In the old training days he organized the Pitts Light Guards, and became its commanding officer, and for a number of years this organization was the crack military company of western New York, having its headquarters for a time in the stone building now occupied as a barn by the Walsh hotel.

Beecher also received $500 reward for the capture of the murderer of the late Mr. Bancroft, on Glenwood Avenue. When the reward was offered, Beecher traced the man to Niagara Falls, and both crossed the river on a cable suspended across the stream, which was all that was left of the old bridge, hand over hand. He then arrested the man after a desperate hand to hand fight, and brought his prisoner back to Medina unassisted.

Beecher established a branch of the Louisiana Lottery, and is said to have reaped rich rewards, taking in so much money at times that he often neglected to count it, simply carting it to the banks. This fortune was lost in speculations of all kinds.

The genial captain then conducted affairs of Bent’s opera house for a number of years, and through his enthusiasm and sagacity, was successful in inducing the players of note in those days, those who only played Buffalo and Rochester, to appear here.

About this time he became interested in the telephone project, and invented the single line telephone system, for which he became quite famous for a time. As the representative of the Bell Telephone Company, he installed a telephone in the old Tribune block, and ran a wire across to the opera house, where he gave a demonstration. So skeptical were the people, that in spite of the success of the effort, the floor of the stage was torn up to discover if there wasn’t a man underneath. One of the original phones is still in operation in C. F. Hurd’s jewelry store, where it has been since 1880. He sold his patent for about $100,000 and invested it in lands in Tennessee, and started the building of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, but, because of the enormity of the enterprise, he lost all his money, and returned to Medina broke.

However, his spirit was as buoyant as over, and he engaged in various enterprises, building the first roller skating rink in the county, and, later, organized the Acer Cornet Band. As these matters were not heavy enough for him, he invented the celebrated single rail trolley car, and built a line just north of Waterport, and gave a demonstration to hundreds of people from all over Western New York. Although the operation was successful, it was considered too dangerous to be practical, and he never realized much financially. However, he did make considerable money upon the same idea by building a so-called “flip-flop” railroad just outside the Pan American grounds. He was not permitted to erect the structure inside the grounds, as it was considered too dangerous.

He then became interested in water works plants, and conceived the idea of supplying Medina, Albion, Brockport, Lockport, Batavla and other places with water from Horseshoe Lake, but lack of funds prevented its successful culmination. Since that time its feasibility has been proven by the approval of the conservation idea by the celebrated water plant at London.

At, one time he owned an immense orange industry in Florida, but differences with the fruit shipping companies finally wiped him out financially, and he returned north.

Without doubt, Lina Beecher was the most active, enthusiastic and indefatigable man who ever resided here, and this enthusiasm was instilled in all with whom he came into contact. He held various minor offices of the village, and was respected and admired by a large circle of friends. He is survived by his widow and one son, Lina Beecher, Jr., of Buffalo.