The local man who became the Lone Ranger

Hi Ho Silver!

When you're young you think you can do anything. Most adults like to wait a couple years to try and burst your bubble. This is something I’ve struggled with as someone from a small town who wants to go into acting. It’s just not something that happens. Or is it?

I started doing some research into people from Mount Carmel who went on to do notable things in the broader world. My search took me to the Mount Carmel Museum on Market Street where I learned about someone interesting: a radio star by the name of Brace Beemer.

Just a small-town boy

Beemer was born in Mount Carmel, in 1902, and lived above the Beemer family music store in what is now Backyard Markets. Eventually the family would move into a particular house on Cherry Street when Beemer's was only a couple of years old. Not much more is known about Beemer’s time in Mount Carmel, which is of little surprise considering at the time he was a kid like any other.

Credit; Wabash County Museum

Beemer would eventually get into the radio business. He was discovered reading poetry live on the air in Indianapolis when he was asked to come up to Detroit to work at WXYZ. His first role for both WXYZ and the Lone Ranger show itself was as its announcer.

Beemer was not the first voice of the Lone Ranger; that accolade goes to Earle Graser. But Beemer had a leg up on Graser in one particular aspect. Beemer was a tall and well-built guy who could ride a horse and more or less perform like the Lone Ranger. So, when the Ranger needed to make a public appearance, the station would go to Beemer and not Graser as he was a thinner fella.

Beemer made sure to be very particular during public appearances as to not break the illusion of being the character. He obviously had his own costume, but he also had his very own Silver, (a white Arabian horse matching the description of the Ranger's own mount) which he made sure had all black horse tack.

From nowhere to everywhere

Beemer would wind up becoming the voice of the Lone Ranger due to the tragic passing of Earle Graser in a car crash on April 4th, 1941. This guy who grew up in a small town was now the voice of the protagonists of one of the most popular radio shows of the time. 

Credit; Market Street MTC

Beemer would go on to be the Lone Ranger all the way until 1954 when the Lone Ranger ended. Eventually, the show was moved to television. Beemer was not trained when it came to television acting and was running on fifty at the time. He would not go on to portray the Ranger on film although his name was synonymous with the character forever.  In his later years, Beemer would keep white Arabian horses at his home.

Legacy in a small town

Beemer would end up having quite the effect on our shared hometown of Mount Carmel as well me, personally. He is someone I admire and aspire to. Local radio man, Kyle Peach, really enjoyed attending Lone Ranger Day, a celebration of the legacy of the Lone Ranger from his hometown. There were live recreations of scenes from the show with costumes and all. A live production of an episode complete with sound affect instruments gave people a peak behind the curtain. All things a young Noah Alka would have loved to have learned about.

Recently Market Street MTC worked with the board of the Mount Carmel Museum to paint a mural of Beemer outside the Mount Carmel Museum. The mural was painted by an artist from Kentucky, Elias Reynolds. That plus the many pieces of Lone Ranger memorabilia inside the museum prove that Brace Beemer has a local legacy.

I've often felt trapped in a small town as someone whose lived here his whole life, especially as someone who wants to get into acting like Beemer did. I've doubted whether my dream is really possible at all. Yet it can be done. Brace Beemer proves it is possible. An unknown kid from a small town can achieve stardom despite all the odds even in a career with no opportunities at home. So, for all us small town kids with a pipe dream, I'd like to thank Brace Beemer for proving we have a chance. And to all the kids ready to give up hope, remember that it can be done; you have a chance. Let's see what we can do to make our own local legacy.

Looking toward the Future

Market Street MTC's plans don't stop at Brace Beemer. I interviewed Coleman Stevenson, a member of the Mural and Arts Team, about upcoming projects coming to Mount Carmel in the coming years. There will be at least two upcoming murals. One will be on the outside of what was once K-Blooms and is currently Ferns with an artist from Indiana coming to give it a floral motif. That one can hopefully be expected in June. In July, the Mid East building opposite the Rent One parking lot, has a really nice brick wall with partitions. You can expect that to be covered by imagery of local naturalists Robert Ridgeway (ornithologist) and Jacob Schneck (botanist). All of Market Street's murals are covered by different artists, which I think is a fascinating way to make each mural stand out. If you want to support Market Street MTC, donate here.

It is important for small towns like Mount Carmel to reflect on their past while still moving forward with hope, much like The Lone Ranger and Silver who never stopped riding into uncertain territory with purpose and resolve. Their journey reminds us that honoring where we come from does not mean being confined by it, but rather using it as a foundation to pursue our dreams.