Beards are something that come into style and then go out of style. Some men can grow them and some can’t. Neither my dad nor any of my uncles had beards. Of course, some of them may have been influenced by my Grandpa Mc. He believed that having a beard meant that you were too lazy to shave. And, lazy wasn’t something that was allowed in his household.
Despite his view, his grandfather, had a beard, as did several other ancestors. Here is a brief look at some ancestors/family members of old and their beards.
Make sure you scroll to the end to see all the photos.
Neat And Trim
Joseph Gazzan Klinefelter
Joseph Klinefelter was born in 1842. The first photo is in his Civil War uniform and the latter is near 1900. He appears to have kept his beard trim both as a soldier and as an older gentleman.
Joseph Lewis Ellis
Joseph, shown with his wife Cynthia, appears to have a well groomed beard. He was born around 1835. This photo may have been taken in Illinois, a stop on their way from Indiana to Kansas.
Michael Ackerman
Micheal’s beard seems somewhat neat and trim. It is hard to tell 100% given the photograph. He was born in Germany in 1832.
Wild and Woolley
Lemuel Lawrence McCracken
Lemuel was born in 1831 and this photograph was taken after he married his third wife in 1881. Based on information about a photographer in his area, I believe it was likely taken in Sedan, KS in the 1890s. Dad always said that you could tell he had red hair even in a black and white photograph. However, his beard seems to be mostly absent of color leaning toward gray or white. Oddly, his hair and mustache have not grayed.
Arthur Reid Thomson & John Ronald
Both men have beards and they are lengthy. However, Arthur Reid Thomson’s white beard takes the cake for the most hair hanging from a face. It is wild, woolly, and long!
Hugh Portwood
Hugh’s beard was woolly and a bit rough around the edges. Such was life on the frontier for a man who was born in 1845 and moved to an area of Kansas where Indian Territory was just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
Long and Lanky
John Charles Jury
John was born in 1836 in Canada. According to this photograph, which appears to have been taken sometime after he moved to the United States. John sported a quite lengthy beard. His height is unknown. However, he appears to be lanky and his beard matches his body.
George Thomas
George was born in 1854 on the Missouri frontier. His beard was also lengthy. He was thin and tall making a good match for his beard.
John McGinley Stetler
John’s beard was quite long and shapely. However, I don’t know anything about his stature. However, his face is thin and long making it reasonable to assume his beard matched his body.
And The Crazy Ones!
Henry Thomas
The photograph shows Henry and his wife Elizabeth Brown Donaldson. Henry was born in 1814 and died in 1892. Based on the type of photo, I would guess that it was taken sometimes in the 1880s. Henry’s beard is so huge that it seems fake. It is completely out of place given it is as large as his head. His head and beard combined form an hour glass shape. He seems like he is a person who should have shaved or at least shortened his beard to match his facial shape and size.
Salathiel Chadwick
Salathiel is shown with his wife Catherine. He was born in 1806, supposedly in Ohio, which had only become a state three years earlier. I am not sure if his beard is as wild as his hair, but it definitely was interesting.
Lorenzo Dow Pellett
Lorenzo was born in 1818. He seems to have a combo beard between neat and trim and wild and woolly. It might be the most unique beard of many I have seen.