James Beaver was born on October 21, 1837, in Millerstown, Perry County, Pennsylvania, the son of Jacob Beaver, a country storekeeper, and Ann Eliza, daughter of Abraham Addams. He traced his ancestry to George Beaver, an Alsatian Huguenot, who came from Rotterdam on the Friendship, reached Philadelphia, November 2, 1744, and settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
The early death of his father left Beaver's education to his grandfathers and his stepfather, Rev. S. H. McDonald. When James was thirteen years old his mother moved to Belleville in Mifflin County. Two years later he entered Pine Grove Academy (in Center County) and in 1854 became a junior at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, receiving his A. B. in 1856 at the age of nineteen. Upon leaving college he began the study of law under Hugh Nelson McAllister at Bellefonte, and was admitted to the Center County bar in January 1859.
The Lincoln campaign of 1860 made Beaver expect war, and he joined the Bellefonte Fencibles, a military company under Andrew G. Curtin, the later war governor. The next year he tendered the services of this company to Gov. Curtin and became its first lieutenant on April 21, 1861, when it enlisted for three months as Company H of the 2nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. The company saw service in the Shenandoah Valley under Sheridan. At the expiration of three months Beaver was honorably mustered out, only to become lieutenant-colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania Infantry, stationed in South Carolina. He remained in the South until September 4, 1862, when he resigned to accept the colonelcy of the 148th Pennsylvania Regiment, recruited near his home for three years. With these men he joined the Army of the Potomac after Fredericksburg, was wounded at Chancellorsville, and was taken to a Washington hospital.
Before complete recovery Beaver took charge of Camp Curtin, a recruiting station in Pennsylvania under Major-General Darius N. Crouch. Here, by June 30, he had organized three emergency regiments which fought at Gettysburg. Relieved from duty at Camp Curtin on July 15, 1863, Beaver rejoined the main army July 31 with little active service before the Wilderness campaign and the march against Petersburg. His gallant work at Cold Harbor and distinguished conduct until his leg was shot through at Ream's Station justified his appointment as brevet brigadier-general of volunteers November 10, to rank from August 1, 1864. Incapacitated for active service, Beaver was honorably discharged from the Union forces December 22, 1864, and resumed the responsibilities of civil life.
James acquired a lucrative practise at the Center County bar. Defeated for governor by Robert E. Pattison in 1882, he established the Bellefonte Nail Works in 1883, and three years later was elected governor over Chauncey F. Black for the four years beginning January 18, 1887. As governor he won advances for temperance, industrial education, good roads, and waterways throughout the state. He presided at the Forestry Congress in Atlanta, December 7, 1888, and in 1889 he urged adequate forest reserves in his own state to prevent the recurrence of such distress as was caused by the Johnstown flood in the Conemaugh Valley. Retiring from office in 1891, he resumed his law practise and was also president of the Blubacker Coal Company of Cambria County. On July 1, 1895, his appointment of June 28 as judge of the Pennsylvania superior court became effective. This commission was renewed by election for ten years on December 19, 1895, and again for an equal period December 19, 1905, his work as a jurist ending only with his death.
James Beaver was a member of the Republican party and the Grand Army of the Republic.
On December 26, 1865, James Beaver was married to Mary Allison McAllister, the daughter of his former partner, at Bellefonte.
He was a country storekeeper.
