Cyrus Beers

Cyrus Beers (June 21, 1786 – June 5, 1850) was an American businessman and Democratic politician who served briefly as a U.S. Representative from New York from December 3, 1838, to March 3, 1839. He was born on June 21, 1786, in Newtown, Connecticut. During his youth he moved with his parents to New York City, where he obtained a limited education in the public schools. In his personal life, Beers married Phebe Gregory; the couple had two sons, John and George.

Beers embarked on a career in commerce at an early age, engaging in mercantile pursuits and the lumber business. His work in trade and related enterprises reflected the expanding commercial opportunities of the early nineteenth century in New York. In 1821 he moved to Ithaca, New York, which was then emerging as a regional center of business and transportation. There he continued in the mercantile business, establishing himself as a local businessman whose activities contributed to the economic development of the community.

Alongside his commercial endeavors, Beers became active in Democratic Party politics in New York. He served as a delegate to the Democratic State convention at Herkimer in 1830, participating in party deliberations during a period of intense political realignment in the Jacksonian era. His standing in the community was further recognized when he was appointed commissioner of deeds at Ithaca in 1837, a local office that involved the acknowledgment and recording of legal instruments and reflected public trust in his integrity and judgment.

Beers’s national political career came with his election as a Democrat to the Twenty-fifth Congress. He was chosen to fill the vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives caused by the death of Andrew DeWitt Bruyn and represented New York’s twenty-second congressional district. His term of service extended from December 3, 1838, to March 3, 1839. As a member of the Democratic Party representing New York, he contributed to the legislative process during this single term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1838, thereby limiting his congressional service to the completion of the unexpired term.

After leaving Congress, Beers resumed his former business pursuits in Ithaca, continuing his involvement in the local economy. He remained engaged in public affairs, serving as a delegate to the New York and Erie Railroad Convention at Ithaca in 1839, an indication of his interest in internal improvements and the expanding railroad network that was transforming transportation and commerce in the state. His later years were spent in Ithaca, where he maintained his role as a businessman and community figure.

Cyrus Beers died in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, on June 5, 1850, at the age of 63 years and 349 days. He was interred at City Cemetery in Ithaca, New York.