Elwood T. Beatty

Elwood T. Beatty (1815–1883) was an American Democratic politician in California and the Idaho Territory.

Beatty was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1815. He joined the gold rush in 1849, and served in the California State Assembly from 1854 to 1857, serving as speaker in 1857.

He moved to Idaho City, Idaho Territory, in 1863, and lost an election to represent Boise County in the territorial council that year. He then moved to Rocky Bar, and was elected to the territorial house of representatives in 1865, representing Alturas County. He lost re-election, but was retained by the house of representatives as its sergeant-at-arms for the 1866–1867 term. He moved to Salmon, and in 1868 was elected to represent Boise County in the house of representatives, which elected Beatty as speaker. In 1870, he was elected as county attorney for newly created Lemhi County, and the territorial council selected Beatty as its sergeant-at-arms for the 1870–1871 term. He was appointed as probate judge for Lemhi County in 1872. He was elected to represent the county in the territorial council in 1874 and was re-elected in 1876, serving as the council's president in the latter term, before losing re-election in 1878. He was then elected as probate judge for the county in 1880 and 1882.

Beatty, who was frequently referred to as "the father of Lemhi county," which owed its existence to Beatty's legislative efforts, died at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1883.