Excerpt from "The Silent Streams", by Harry Logsdon, 1950?, pages 30-33 THE BECKS Quite a number of the early pioneers in the valleys migrated from Maryland but a far greater number of them came from western Pennsylvania. The ancestor of the founder of Beck's Mills was Leonard Beck. He was born in eastern Pennsylvania in the year 1759. When a young man he served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Toward the close of the century, he and his family emigrated to Westmoreland County Pa. and settled near Greensburough (Greensburg). The names of his sons were Adam, John, Michael, and Leonard. In the year 1822, his son, Michael Beck, who a few years before had married Catharine Long, emigrated to Doughty Valley. They (he and his wife and two sons, Joseph and Daniel) came west in a covered wagon and camped for a few days on a level spot of ground near the head of the ravine rjunning down to Beck's Mills from the north. While here they discovered that the nearby spring was a very weak one and that a much better one existed on their tract of land (320 A) about one half mile east near Doughty Creek not far from the south end of "the Glens". After cutting a road thru the woods, they brought their team and covered wagon with all of its contents to this spring. Here among the giant oak and tall spruce trees which lined both sides of "The Glens", they built their first cabin of round logs and, also, a stable in which to shelter their team of horses. For a time they cleard some land and did some farming, but Mr. Beck being of a mechanical nature, in course of time, built a Dam across "The Glens" and erected a saw mill. This was perhaps, one of the first saw mills on Doughty Creek. Being thus equipped to convert the virgin timber into lumber, he soon built a more [commodious] frame house in which he and his family might live. This change of residence took place in the early thirties and the old log house in which they first lived, was used as a school house for the children of the community. By this time, the Beck family had increased to eight in number, Mr. and Mrs. Beck and six children: namely, Joseph, who married Harriet Deal in 1848. They raised a family of six children. All of whom lived in the valley for some time and migrated to Michigan and Bow Falls, North Dakota. The third child Susan, married Nimrod Mitten, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Kelley Mitten. They raised a family of thirteen children and emigrated to southern Ind. Daniel married (Sarah) Ann Fair and raised three sons and two daughters. One of the sons Samuel located near Warsaw, O. Another son married Mary Aultman and moved to Michigan. A daughter, Elizabeth married Michael Keiser who later built the dam and Grist Mill at the southern extremity of the village of Clark. Later in life Mr. Keiser's son, Benjamin took over the mill and ran it for a number of years. Another Michael Jr., married Mary Smith. To this union were born six children: namely, Margaret who married Wm. Myers who later moved to near Ada, O. Elminah who married Solomon Deetz and lived near Saltillo, O. William Lydia Klotz and lived on the old homestead and later moved to Shanesville. Eli and Michael III both died young of diphtheria. The youngest child of Michael Beck Sr. was named Benjamin. He married Julia Butrow and raised four children: Viz, Mary, George, James and David. All of whom grew to man and woman hood, and raised families. During the early forties Michael Beck, Sr. built a new house near a spring in what is now Beck's Mills, also a large bank barn near by. This barn is still standing and is in fairly good condition (*). In the year 1848, Michael Beck Sr. with the help of his sons, built a much larger Dam across Doughty Creek at the extreme southern end of "The Glens". The following year they began the erection of a four story Grist Mill and equipped it with large stone burrs for the grinding of wheat for flour and the making of corn meal. For more than fifty years they did a thriving milling business. Soon after the completion of the Grist Mill, they moved the second house in which they had lived near the saw mill, down the creek and erected it just back of the Grist Mill and installed a mill for the grinding of flax seed and a machine for carding wool. In the late fifties a postal route was established between New Philadelphia and Millersburg. Thie post boy came on horse back with the mail sacks westward from New Philadelphia thru several towns to New Bedford, thence to Becks Mills thence to Saltillo and on to Millersburg in one day. The next day he returned over the same route to New Philadelphia. The post office at Beck's Mills was arranged for in the office room of the Grist Mill and Benjamin Beck was appointed postmaster which position he held for about forty years. In the year 1872 Michael Beck Sr. and his son Benjamin erected a small one story frame building and started a general store. Benjamin Beck went to Philadelphia, Pa. to buy the stock of goods and had them shipped to Millersburg. From thence the goods [were] hauled to the new store in wagons. In the early eighties the post office was moved into the new store building. Toward the close of the century a much larger store building was built and the old store was used as a sort of warehouse. For several years Mr. Solomon Miller assisted Mr. Beck in conducting the store and post office. Later Mr. Miller moved to Barrs Mills and started a general store of his own. Then Mr. Beck employed Mr. George Conkle as chief clerk which position he held for a number of years. The Becks employed different men to run the Grist Mill. One of the first ones was David Lautenschleger and one of the last was Charles Beam. A blacksmith shop was also built by Benjamin Beck and did a thriving business for a number of years. Several houses were built by the Becks in order that the various workmen employed by them might have comfortable homes in which to live. The Becks, too built another saw mill on the Grist Mill Dam and put in the first circular saw to be used on Doughty Creek. The great flood of 1913 washed out the big dam and that put an end to the Grist and Saw Mill business at Beck's Mills. The Grist Mill building is still standing and is owned by E.J. Varns (**). The blacksmith shop has long since disappeared but the store has been operated by various individuals up to the present time. Following Mr. Becks death in 1905, the store has been operated at different periods by the following, Miller and Weaver Ed Arnold, Thomas McPherson, Miller and Schrock, Sommers and Bixler and at present by Blake Miller. The present owner of the store building is E.J. Varns. * The barn was wrecked by a storm in 1960 and replaced by a new one. ** The mill was sold in 1954 to a local farmer who razed it and used the wood to build a new building. (Later chapters mention a camp meeting held in 1840 on the Michael Beck farm by United Brethren evangelist Alexander Biddle; this meeting led to the establishment of both the Bethel United Brethren Church and the Salem Reformed Church, but after several decades the membership had declined such that services were discontinued in 1946 and 1935 respectively.)