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James joined his father in the manufacture of soap at Lawrence, Massachusetts, but at age 21 headed west to Chicago, and Aurora, Illinois, before finally settling in Dubuque, Iowa in 1856 were he purchased a half interest in a small soap factory. He later bought out his partners and expanded the business, with plants in St. Paul and St. Anthony, Minnesota.
Soapmaking had an interesting Dubuque run before being washed up
by Len KruseBeach family: Family does a good job of cleaning up
No one really knows when man first learned to make soap, but before people knew about it, they cleaned themselves with olive oil, plant ashes, bran and sand.In Colonial America, much of the soapmaking was done in the home. Housewives saved their fats and greases from cooking, put them in a large pot and boiled them with a lye made from wood ashes. The result was a useful, but strong, yellow soap. Dubuque’s first soap and candle factory was constructed in 1850 in a small wooden building located at South Locust and Dodge streets, called the F.M. Pleins & Company. In 1856, James Beach, of Dover, N.H., the son of a soap manufacturer, joined the firm by purchasing the interest of James P. Farley. Beach was just 21 years old.
The candle product was dropped and the company’s name was changed to Pleins & Beach Soap Factory. Pleins sold out to Beach a year later. Twelve years after that, Beach’s eldest son, Edward, joined the company and the name became James Beach & Son.
Young Beach had graduated from a chemical course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor of arts degree and had a good knowledge of the soapmaking business. To supply the ever-increasing demand for washing and toilet soaps, the company in 1891 built a large three-story brick building on the site and doubled its capacity. Business was very good, and 40 men were employed.Beach’s second son, Jim, came into the firm and the company’s name changed to James Beach & Sons.
The demand for soap oils increased the use of many new agricultural products. Soap makers used coconut oil, sesame oil and soybean oil.In 1906, machinery was installed for the manufacture of a new product, soap powder. This was the first soap powder mill in the state. The company advertised heavily and presented samples of the new product to Dubuque housewives in order to familiarize them with it.
Eight million pounds of soap was turned out annually. Six huge kettles were used for cooking the soap, where it was steamed and boiled for six days.Various oils from Ceylon and corn oil were used to scent the finer toilet soaps.By 1910, the factory manufactured several different laundry and toilet soaps. The most popular laundry brand was named “Peosta” and its glycerin hand soap was another favorite. Other kinds made included White Castile and Key City soap powder.
Although the soap from the Dubuque factory was sold across the country, its principal market was the Midwest.
In February 1918, James Beach Sr. was accidentally thrown from a horse-drawn sleigh and died. He had been active in civic affairs.
The soap industry changed. The development of continuous processes for making soap was only one of many steps taken to produce more at less cost.
Now, synthetic detergents account for about 90 percent of packaged washing products manufactured in the country. New detergents are used to make liquid cleansers and toilet bars for home and industry.
Source:
JAMES BEACH, of the firm of Pleins & Beach soap and candle manufacturers, corner of Dodge and Bluff streets, Dubuque; is a native of Dover, New Hampshire, and was born July 26, 1835; when 12 years of age he went to Lawrence, Mass., where he grew up to manhood; in 1856, he came to Chicago, and the following year came to Iowa, and located in Dubuque; he engaged in his present business with Mr. Pleins, and the firm of Pleins & Beach have carried on the business for twenty-three years, and built up a good trade; they are the oldest firm without change except one in the city. Mr. Beach has held the office of City Alderman. Mr. Beach was united in marriage to Miss Sadie Barr, from Springfield, Ohio, Jan. 14, 1873; they have three children: George, Edward and Charles. pg.764
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1835 - 1918 (82 years)
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