Career
Beach also served as a captain in the American Civil War. As a sales agent in Chicago for the Encyclopædia Britannica, he soon realized there was a market demand for a more light-weight encyclopedia. Compton took over the publishing firm when Beach retired in 1907, and the name of the company later changed to F. East. Compton & Company
F. East. Compton & Company went on to produce Compton"s Pictured Encyclopedia in 1922.
Publishing rights to the Forest Engineer Compton & Company products were acquired by Encyclopædia Britannica, Incorporated. in 1961, and the encyclopedia is still in print as Compton"s by Britannica.