Cornelius C. Beekman
Cornelius C. Beekman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Dundee, New York, United States |
| Died | February 22, 1915 (aged 87) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, Wells Fargo Express agent |
| Years active | 1853–1915 |
| Known for | Founding Beekman Bank; Wells Fargo agent in Jacksonville, Oregon |
Cornelius C. Beekman (January 27, 1828 – February 22, 1915) was a prominent banker and Wells Fargo Express agent based in Jacksonville, Oregon, United States. Both the Cornelius C. Beekman House and the Beekman Native Plant Arboretum bear his name in recognition of his legacy.
Early life
Born in 1828 in Dundee, New York to parents Benjamin Beekman and Lydia Compton, Beekman received carpentry training from his father. He attended public schools in Yates County until 1850. That year, he embarked on a journey to San Francisco with the goal of mining during the California Gold Rush. After discovering that the most valuable claims were already occupied, he briefly worked as a carpenter, earning approximately one ounce of gold daily. In 1851, he relocated northward to Yreka to file a mining claim.
Career
Beekman's career began in 1853 when he served as a courier for Cram, Rogers & Co., responsible for transporting gold dust, correspondence, and packages between Yreka, California, and Jacksonville, Oregon. After moving to Jacksonville that same year and following the collapse of Cram Rogers in 1856, he launched the Beekman Express Company to continue servicing this route.
He received five percent commission on the value of gold dust he transported—amounting to over $15 million—and earned one dollar for each letter or newspaper delivered. In 1857, he founded the Beekman Bank in Jacksonville, marking Southern Oregon's first banking institution. Since deposits were made in gold dust, instead of paying interest, he charged a one percent fee for safekeeping. Beekman maintained involvement in banking activities until shortly before his passing in 1915.
In 1863, he assumed the role of Jacksonville agent for Wells Fargo Express Company, a position he held for four decades. Throughout this tenure, he managed shipments of millions of dollars’ worth of gold dust destined for minting in San Francisco.
Politically active, Beekman was the Republican nominee for Oregon governor in 1878 but was narrowly defeated by William Thayer by less than seventy votes. Additionally, he was a 32nd degree Mason and belonged to the Sons of the American Revolution.
Popular culture
In 2018, Wells Fargo Bank featured Beekman in a television commercial portraying a stagecoach holdup. The advertisement highlights his ingenious method of concealing gold by repackaging it into small wooden boxes originally intended for candles—thus misleading robbers who anticipated finding it stored in secure strongboxes.
Philanthropy
Beekman served as a regent at the University of Oregon and collaborated with Henry Failing to establish the Failing-Beekman Prize in 1880, awarded for outstanding oratory at commencement ceremonies.
He played a key role in founding the First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville and was among the quartet of original landowners responsible for founding the community of Medford, Oregon.
Further reading
- Guide to the Beekman Family Papers 1859-1936
- Cornelius Beekman at Guided by History
- Engeman, Biography of Cornelius C. Beekman, a paper by Richard H. Engeman (1980) for HST407 at the University of Oregon
- C.C. Beekman, Jacksonville banker