Beal-Casey Family Papers, 1886-1940 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

The Beal-Casey papers contain diaries of Elizabeth and Ervilla Beal, correspondence and notes on the genealogies of the Beal and Casey families, and other family documents. The collection also includes a Civil War certification of citizenship, various legal documents, and several diplomas. One notable item is a letter of reprimand from the Piatt County School Board to Ervilla Lefever for neglecting attendance at summer institutes.

Biographical/Historical Context:

Alvin Casey Beal was a professor of Agriculture at Cornell University and a noted expert on horticulture. Born in Mt. Vernon, Ill., in 1897, Beal earned his master's and doctoral degrees at Cornell. In 1899, he married Ervilla B. Lefever, a school teacher from Milmine, Ill. The Beals had one child, Elizabeth Beal, a librarian, who also graduated from Cornell and received advanced degrees at Columbia University and Iowa State College.

Acquisition Source: Elizabeth Beal owned the items in the collection until her death in 1973. The papers passed through the Lefever family to Ann L. Skagenberg of Monticello, Ill., Ervilla Beals' great-grandniece. Mrs. Skagenberg donated the papers to the Library in 1989 and 1990.