THOMAS G. BEAHAM
SUCCUMBS AT 68.
FAULTLESS STARCH FOUNDER A
KANSAS CITY BUSINESS MAN
FOR 22 YEARS.
Veteran Army Man Made This City
the Scene of His Many Ac-
tivities -- Became Ill
Last Summer.
THOMAS G. BEAHAM.
Thomas G. Beaham, for twenty-two years a Kansas City business man, died at his home, 2940 Troost avenue, at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr. Beaham had been ill since last summer, while on a hunting and fishing trip on the Nipegon river in Canada.
Mr. Beaham was born in Cambridge, O., the only child of John and Harriett Beaham. His boyhood was spent in Muscatine, Ia., where he enlisted September, 1861, in the Union army as a commissary sergeant of the Second Iowa volunteer cavalry in the Civil war. He was appointed second lieutenant December 1, 1861, and promoted to first lieutenant a month later. Mr. Beaham was detached from his regiment in April, 1862, and assigned to duty as aide-de-camp on the staff of General Gordon Granger, commanding a cavalry division in Mississippi, until August, 1862. On November 19, 1863, he was appointed and commissioned major and aide-de-camp of United States volunteers and assigned to the staff of General Granger. While in the department of the Cumberland, in the military division of the West, he participated in the advance and siege of Corinth; occupation of Corinth and pursuit to Boonville; pursuit of Van Dorn to Duck river and defense of Franklyn against Van Dorn's attack. He was in the battle of Chickamauga, Orchard ridge and Missionary hill, and many other historic battlefields. He resigned September 12, 1864, and was honorably discharged from the service. Mr. Beaham was a lifelong friend of Captain Gordon Taylor of Cincinnati, O., who was on the staff of General Granger.
Shortly after the war he went to Cincinnati, O., where he engaged in the wholesale paint and glass business. In 1878 he moved to Zanesville, where he lived until 1887, when he came to Kansas City and entered into partnership with E. O. Moffatt in the whlesale coffee, tea and spice company. The company was formerly Smith and Moffatt, but Mr. Smith was killed in the cyclone of that year and the firm was started anew under the name of Beaham & Moffatt. At that time Mr. Beaham was living with his family in Independence, Mo.
It was early in the history of the firm of Beaham & Moffatt that the Faultless Starch was originated as a specialty. Shortly afterwards Mr. Moffatt returned to the grain trade and the business was conducted as the Beaham Manufacturing Company. Owing to the growth of the starch department the coffee, tea and spice business was disposed of and for several years the business was conducted as the Faultless Starch Company, unincorporated, Mr. Beaham being the sole owner. In 1900 he moved to Kansas City from Independence and in 1903 the business was incorporated as the Faultless Starch Company with Mr. Beaham as president and Gordon T. Beaham as secretary.
Mr. Beaham is survived by a mother, Mrs. Harriett Beaham, 91 years old. Mrs. Beaham has been living with her son for the past seventeen years. His wife, one son and two daughters also survive him. Gordon T. Beaham, the only son, was named after his lifelong friend, Captain Gordon Taylor of civil war fame. Two daughters, Edna and Helen, reside at home.
Mr. Beaham was a member of the University, Country, Midday and Commercial Clubs; also a member of the Loyal Legion. He was very fond of fishing and hunting and was a member of several shooting clubs. For a number of years he spent his summers in Lake Miltona, Minn.
