Beason marks 150 years
Part 2: Businesses

 

[September 17, 2022] 

Many businesses have come and gone over the 150 year history of Beason. The Sesquicentennial Booklet that will be available for sale during the town’s 150th celebration shares some history of the businesses.

In the booklet, it says, “[t]oday Beason seems a simple, quiet bedroom village with few businesses other than the Top Flight grain elevator, Beason Ag farm chemical company, and our post office, but back in its prime Beason was home to many businesses including two grocery or general stores, a feed store, a blacksmith shop, stock yards, a bank, a restaurant, a livery, a hotel, a lumberyard, and, of course, the train depot.”

Through the years, “Beason has been home to multiple carpenters, doctors, harness and tack makers, threshers and custom farmers. In later years there were implement dealerships, the telephone office and once upon a time even a pool hall and confectionery.”

In the Beason 125th Celebration Book, Don Fink said between 1940 and 1950, he remembers people being able to buy gas and oil at four different stations. There were also three grocery stores, a telephone office, a barber shop, lumber company, butcher shop and ice cream parlor.

Summer movies

During that era, Fink said, “behind the telephone office was an area, which the local merchants would sponsor free movies on Friday nights during the summer.” Later they were shown in a lot by the post office. By the 50s, these had ended because there were not enough merchants to sponsor the movies.

Beason Ag Center

Beason Ag Center has a long history and sources show it has gone through many changes over the years. It began as Sinclair Petro Chemical Plant in 1968 and sold fertilizer, chemicals, nitrogen, L.P. gas, petroleum, tires, oil and filters. By 1970, Sinclair Petro Chemical Company merged with Atlantic Richfield (ARCO). ARCO sold the plant to First Mississippi in September 1973 and First Mississippi closed the plant.

Gene Jannusch of McLean bought the plant in November 1973 and renamed it Beason Farm Center. Jannusch added a new office and large metal building to house a garage and repair shop to maintain equipment. More employees were then hired. During this period, sales increased as did the need for more equipment and custom application.

By 1985, Clinton’s H.G.N. purchased the plant and named it Beason Ag Center. Beason Ag Center is still in business today.

Wurth Brothers, Inc.

In 1954, Lewis E. Wurth and Sons was established. It became Wurth Brothers, Inc. as Scott and Ross continued the business after Lewis’s 1970 death. In 1994, Scott Wurth purchased a semi to haul his own grain and did runs for local elevator and fertilizer plants. Scott Wurth became the sole owner of the business in 1995. Since 1996, the business has had the federal authority to run nationwide. Wurth Brothers, Inc. is still an Illinois Transport Company as of 2022.
 

Topflight Grain Cooperative

Topflight Grain Elevator, formerly East Lincoln Grain Elevator, is part of the Topflight Grain Cooperative that serves grain producers in Logan and other nearby counties. The Cooperative acquired the East Lincoln Farmer’s Grain in Beason, Atlanta, Lawndale, Krueger and Johnson Siding in 2014.

In 2018, there was an explosion at the Beason Grain Elevator, but fortunately, the structure was not damaged. This summer, a small tornado that went through the town causing some grain bin damages.

[Angela Reiners]

On Monday, part three of Beason Marks 150 years will feature "Organizational structures - church, school, government"

Come join Beason’s 150th Celebration

Past stories:

Beason marks 150 years
Part 1: Beason gets its start