PROF. JESSE BEERY, whose skill and reputation as a horse, breaker and trainer is recognized all over this and many other counties, and whose School of Correspondence in Horsemanship, together with a number of appliances of his own invention, have made his name familiar all over the United States, was born June l3 1861, at Pleasant Hill, Miami County Ohio. His parents were Enoch and Mary (Hatfield) Beery, and his maternal grand parents were George and Mary (Kneighley) Hatfield. The father of Prof. Beery was a substantial farmer and resided on a farm east of Pleasant Hill, where he died in 1905, at the age of eighty-two years, and his burial was in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. His wife had passed away in 1868 and she was laid to rest in the Sugar Grove, Cemetery. They had six children: Minnie Lelene, Levi, Cassie, Jesse and Martha. Enoch Beery was a deacon in the German Baptist Church for fifty years.

Jesse Beery attended school at Pleasant Hill and Covington. He assisted his father on the home farm, but from boyhood took a greater amount of interest in the horses on the place than in the work of cultivating the land, seeming to have a natural gift for controlling animals. This gift he recognized, and by exercising it, increased his power, and when little more than a boy, commenced to travel, exhibiting his powers as a trainer at fairs and expositions all over the country. For sixteen years he was on the road, visiting cities, towns and private grounds, and at all these places he found people who not only acknowledged and admired his remarkable powers, but were anxious to learn his methods, and it was about 1905 when he had more business than he could handle, wherever he went, that he decided to return to Pleasant Hill and found a school to teach others the art which came to him naturally. His course of instruction covers every point of this great subject, and he has satisfied students all over the country. In fact, Professor Beery is one of the few men who have presented the art and science of horse training to pupils in a practical manner, and this superiority has been recognized.

Not only has Professor Beery given men and women the opportunity of learning how to train, rear and manage their own horses, but he has invented a number of appliances which he makes use of himself and offers to the public, at most reasonable rates, which are almost a necessity for perfect success in controlling the spirited animals and desirable to use with the most gentle. These appliances have cost Professor Beery much capital and years of experimenting, but they have reached perfection, and as they are protected by patents, they can only be procured from him. Among these may be mentioned: The surgical, the knee pads, the foot straps, the safety rope, the throwing halter, the double backhand and crupper, the guy line and throwing strap, the free shaft carriers, the bellyband, the breaching and hip straps, all of these being arranged in groups numbered Nos. 1, 2 and 3, at prices most reasonable, while the whole set of appliances can be procured together for the very small sum of eighteen dollars. In addition to the appliances mentioned, several others have later been put on the market, which have met with ready sale, being recognized as almost indispensable to those who desire perfect safety with horses and at the same time do not wish to cause discomfort to spirited animals. These are the Four- in-one Beery Bit and the Pulley Breaking Bridle. Should Prof. Beery preserve all the letters he receives in praise of his inventions and system of teaching, he would be compelled to erect a warehouse to contain them. He is president of the Jesse Beery Company, of Pleasant Hill, a co-operative organization, the other officers of which are: A. J. Lanver, of Detroit, Michigan, vice-president; Charles F. Perkins, treasurer; C. Roy Coppock, secretary, and Prof. S. C. Morton. He is also president of the Dayton Agency Supply Company, of Dayton, in which he is a stockholder, and also owns stock in the Pleasant Hill Banking Company.

On December 25, 1889, Prof. Beery was married to Miss Meda Coppock, daughter of Hon. D. M. Coppock, mayor of Pleasant Hill, and they have four children, Ray, Ruth, Beecher and Lura. The two older children are students in the Pleasant Hill High School, Miss Ruth also having her musical talent developed. Prof. Beery is a deacon in the Pleasant Hill Christian Church. In politics he is a Republican and he has served in the Town Council and on the School Board.