John Beebe, the son of Oliver and Nancy Beebe, was born at Winhale [Winhall - LPM], Vermont. He later moved with his family to Beaver Lake, Indiana. John Beebe married Elizabeth Dudley of New York in 1859. They were the parents of four children. Walter [1861 - 1918], Grace [1862 - 1914], and Fred [1870 - 1935] were born in Indiana. May [1875 - 1918] was born at Medicine Lodge, Kansas. [LPM note: See inset below for birth place of Walter, Grace, and Frederick Beebe.]

Having the pioneering spirit, John and family moved to Medicine Lodge, Kansas, in 1872. They were one of the first seven families to settle in this area. Their mother died there in 1883.

John Beebe and children Grace, Fred, and May, moved by covered wagon to "No Man's Land," Beaver County, in 1886. They first lived in a dugout, later building a sod house a short distance to the east, which was approximately thirteen miles east and three south of Beaver near Duck Pond Creek. Later they moved about three miles to the north, on the north side of the Beaver river. They had a spring fed pond at this place where the people of the old town of Alpine, which was three miles to the southwest, enjoyed going swimming.

John was interested in farming and cattle raising. They also had a nice fruit orchard. The Beebe place was a stop-over and resting place for the stage from Englewood, Kansas, to Beaver. The old springhouse, a building that the spring water ran thru, where milk and butter were kept cool, was made of a soft white sand stone. On these stones many of those who stopped carved their names and initials.

John Beebe was chairman of the first Board of Commissioners of Beaver County, serving on this board with J. R. Quinn. John was always interested in community affairs.

Walter Beebe, the oldest son, married Florence Wiggs; they made their home near Enid, Oklahoma. They had three children: Ethel, Ernest, and Lois. Walter passed away in March 1918.

Grace married Will Overton; they had one son Ernest. She was the stepmother of the late Ed, Fred, and Maudie Overton (Lockhart). Their home was on Clear Creek approximately twelve miles south of Beaver. Grace passed away in 1914.

Fred homesteaded on land in the Oklahoma Territory in the land rush of 1889 [see note below]. Fred married Elizabeth Ruth of Englewood, Kansas, in 1900. They were the parents of five children: Ruth, Oliver, Frank, Nellie, and Dessie. They lived in Beaver County until 1907 when they moved to Texas. They lived on a farm near the old town of Ochiltree and the present town of Perryton. They later moved [to New Mexico and then] to San Fernando, California. Fred passed away in 1935. His  wife, Elizabeth, passed away in 1966.

May married Otto Barby in 1896. They were parents of seven children: Otto, Lloyd, May, Ralph, Gladys, Edna, and Alice. They first lived in a sod house on Duck Pond Creek, eight or nine miles south of the Beebe home. Later in the year they acquired 160 acres by buying a relinquishment which was located one half mile east of the Beebe home. May passed away July 30, 1918.

. . . In December of 1894 Otto met May Beebe, who later became his wife. She lived with her father, John Beebe, sister Grace, and brother Fred on their ranch on the Beaver river about fourteen miles east of Beaver. The family had moved from Medicine Lodge, Kansas, in 1886. Otto Barby and May Beebe were married at the Beebe home on May 20, 1896. They started housekeeping in a sod house on Duck Pond Creek four miles west and one mile south of Clearlake, Oklahoma. . . . Otto had bought about seventy-five steers before he married; they were kept in the Fred Beebe pasture. Soon after he married, he and Fred Beebe bought a small herd of cows from Mr. Braidwood, and this was the beginning of his ranching business. In the fall of 1896 Otto acquired 160 acres of land by buying out a relinquishment. This place was fourteen and one-half miles east of Beaver. It later became the headquarters of the Barby ranch. Otto bought a two-room house and moved it to his claim. The Barbys lived in a dug-out near the house while it was being refinished. They moved into the house a short time before their first child, Otto Carl, was born. As the years passed, rooms were added to the original two rooms. The Barby children were all born in this home. It is now [1970] the home of the eldest daughter May and her husband. . .

Summary and Chronology

(Based on the articles quoted above and on additional information on file.)

• 1828: John Beebe was born in VT; moved to IL "at an early age"; his mother died in 1838, his father in 1841; he lived in CA 1850 - 1856, then returned to IL.

• 1859: John Beebe married Elizabeth Dudley. Between 1861 and 1875, they had two sons, Walter and Fred, and two daughters, Grace and May.

• 1865: Otto Barby was born in MO.

• 1870: John Beebe moved from IL to KS.

• 1883: John Beebe's wife Elizabeth died in May.

• 1886: Beebe family except Walter, now aged 25, moved to OK near Duck Pond Creek.

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• 1889: Fred Beebe, now aged 19, acquired a homestead in "land rush." [See Note below.]

• 1893: John Beebe moved to a homestead north of Beaver river (swimming, stage stop, sandstone, etc.).

• 1896: May Beebe married Otto Barby; they lived near Duck Pond Creek. Otto kept steers in Fred Beebe pasture. Otto acquired 160 acres of land, still owned and occupied by the Barby family.

• 1898: John Beebe died; Fred, now aged 28, took over his father's homestead.

• 1900: Fred Beebe married Elizabeth Ruth. They had five children between 1901 and 1910.

• 1907: Oklahoma became a state. Fred Beebe sold his ranch to Otto Barby, moved to TX and later to NM.

• 1918: Walter Beebe died in March; Otto Barby's wife May died in July.

• 1919: Fred Beebe and family moved to San Fernando, CA.

• 1935: Fred Beebe died in August.

• 1954: Otto Barby died in August.

NOTE: The original article states, "Fred homesteaded on land in the Oklahoma Territory in the land rush of 1898," but this date is inconsistent with other information. Gladys Howe states (1998) that the date should be 1889.