PIECES OF OUR PAST - THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 97

 THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 97

 

   THE DREAMER OF ORLANDO - Braxton Bragg Beacham, named for a Confederate General of the Army of the Tennessee, was born in Laurens County, Georgia on September 12, 1864, to Lewis Beacham and his bride, Martha Knight.  His widowed mother, with her children, moved to the town of Dublin, Georgia, where he was given talented teachers. In December 1883, when only nineteen years of age, Beacgan with a couple of hundred dollars in hand and a dream in his soul, set out to follow his dreams.  He landed in Orange County, Florida where he established an orange grove. Beacham sold the grove and more to the growing metropolis of Orlando.  After engaging as a clerk in a dry goods store, he invested his savings to begin his lifelong career of dealing in real estate. An astute businessman, Beacham first invested in large tracts of land.

 

   Beacham parlayed his profits to concentrate on developing downtown Orlando.  In 1921 he built the Beacham Theatre, which is still being used a century later.  Beacham financed the construction of the new and modern, eleven-story hotel, the Augebilt. and a promoter and builder of the eleven-story modern hotel known as the Augebilt.  In 1920 he sold a 300-acre orange grove of his own development, but soon thereafter reinvested in the industry.  In Alachua County, he is the owner of a stock farm of 1,500 acres.  His business career has been an active and prosperous one, attended by gratifying success.  

    A leading Democrat in Orlando, Braxton made an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1910.  His campaign was based on using tax dollars to aid in the construction of “better roads.”  Beacham was elected as the 18th mayor of Orlando in 1906.  During World War I, Beacham was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson as the Food Administrator of Florida.  Working for no salary, Beacham oversaw the distribution of food and related products to the people of his estate while trying to meet the needs of the military forces of the United States.

    Braxton Beacham died on September 24, 1924, just a week after his 60th birthday.  He predeceased his wife, Roberta Holland Beacham, who died in 1926.

    Today, the Beacham Theatre is a lasting memorial to Beacham. The theater is 46 North Orange Avenue, and it is located at the southwest corner of Orange Avenue and Washington Street. The building's simple architecture is far outweighed by its important cultural history. The Beacham was once part of the vaudeville circuit and hosted celebrity acts such as John Philip Sousa, the Ziegfeld Follies, and W.C. Fields. In modern times, the Beacham has been used for concerts and nightclubs.

    MASTER AG TEACHER -  Mr. W.A. Avery was born in Laurens County in 1917. He graduated from the University of Georgia in Agricultural Education. He began teaching agriculture at Effingham Academy in 1938 but was called to active military duty while serving in the National Guard. He attained the rank of Captain in the US Army. Mr. Avery taught Agriculture for thirty-nine years, including nine years as a teacher in the Veteran's Farm Training Program. After his retirement in 1976, Mr. Avery worked as a soil consultant. 

    Mr. Avery's FFA teams won the District Soil Judging Contest 16 times in 17 years and won the state event 5 times. His teams were always among the top five in forestry competitions. He maintained 72 species of trees in his yard for study by FFA and 4-H members. Mr. Avery received the Teacher of Teachers Award (1969), an Award for Distinguished Service in Agriculture, and the Georgia Honorary State FFA Degree. Mr. Avery was a Star Teacher in 1976 and was named the Man of the Year in Soil and Water Conservation for Emanuel County. His greatest honor was presented to him in appreciation for his dedicated service to the Swainsboro High Vocational Agriculture Program and FFA. The plaque was presented to him eleven years after his retirement by 60 of his former students who had gathered to pay tribute to this special man. Mr. Avery served as President of the Kiwanis Club, the Emanuel County Association of Educators, and the Emanuel Retired Teachers. He was Chairman of the District and State Retired Teachers of Vocational Agriculture groups. Mr. Avery was an active member of the Methodist Church where he taught an Adult Sunday school class for forty-five years. He died in 1997.