Arthur Murdick Beacham was born in Nebraska on January 13, 1882, to William Beacham and Maggie Murdick Beacham. Father William was born in England, and Maggie was 10 years his junior. Two sons were born of this marriage. There is no clear record of what happened to William, but it appears that Maggie (Margaret) may have changed the names of her sons by the time she married a second time sometime between 1885 and 1900. Margaret used her maiden name when she married Arthur’s stepfather, Charles Colesworthy.

By 1900, Arthur was a young man who still lived with his family in Pendleton, OR, and worked as an express wagon driver. Soon, Arthur had a younger brother and sister. Arthur’s stepfather was a feed store proprietor.

The 1910 census showed Arthur, then 28, still lived at home but worked as a wool grader, most likely at the new Pendleton Woolen Mills. However, the 1909/10 Salem city directory showed him boarding at 859 S 12th in Salem and working as a sorter at TKWM. We can assume Arthur was at least temporarily in Salem by 1909 and decided to stay.

On June 16, 1910, Arthur married Silverton resident Alice L. Harritt, 19, in Salem. By that time, Arthur had been promoted to wool grader. On May 18, 1911, the couple’s only child, Donald Elmer Beacham, was born in Salem.

In 1917, the family was lured to Long Beach, CA, where Arthur, then 36, began working as a wool sorter for Golden State Woolen Mill, which had opened in 1915. By 1920, the family was in a rented home at 626 1/2 W 4th in Long Beach. Arthur’s mother-in-law, Angie Harritt, and brother-in-law, Elmer W. Harritt, were living with them.

In 1930, Arthur and his family, including his mother-in-law, were living in a house they owned at 2096 Lime Ave, Long Beach. Arthur was a foreman at the Golden States Mills. Donald was 18 but not yet working.

Life was good for the Beacham family until 1940, when, on February 21, Arthur died at age 58. Soon, both Alice and Donald began working at the woolen mill to make ends meet. Donald passed away in 1965. He and his wife never had any children. Alice lived on until 1975 and was buried at the Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach, CA.

1885 Nebraska State Census. William Beacham, 35, born abt 1850 in England. Residence St. Stephens, Nebraska. Farmer. Household members: William Beacham 35 HOH, Maggie Beacham 25 wife, Albert Beacham 2 son, Sam Beacham 4 mos. son.

1900 Federal Census. Arthur M. Beacham, 18, born Jan 1882 in Nebraska. Residence High St, Pendleton, OR.  Single, stepson of HOH. Father born in England. Mother born in Missouri. Express wagon driver. Household members: C. G. Colesworthy 48 HOH (feed store operator), Margaret S Colesworthy 40 wife, Arthur M Beacham 18 stepson, Esquire T Beacham 15 stepson, Joseph B Colesworthy 3 son, E Margaret Colesworthy 1 daughter, Mattie L Wardle 27 servant.

1910 Federal Census. Arthur M. Beacham, 28, born 1882 in Nebraska. Residence E. High St, Pendleton, OR.  Single, stepson of HOH.  Father born in England. Mother born in Missouri. Wool Grader. Works full-time.  Household members: Charles Colesworthy 57 HOH (retail feed mill prop), Margaret S Colesworthy 50 wife, Arthur M Beacham 28 stepson, Joseph B Colesworthy 13 son, Margaret E Colesworthy 10 daughter.

1920 Federal Census. Arthur M. Beacham, 38, born abt 1882 in NE. Rents home at 626 1/2, W 4^th in Long Beach, CA. Married HOH. Father and mother born in Nebraska. Wool sorter. Household members: Arthur M. Beacham 38 HOH, Alice L. Beacham 28 wife, Donald E. Beacham 8 son, Angie Harritt 53 mother-in-law, Elmer W. Harritt 19 brother-on-law.

1930 Federal Census. Arthur M. Beacham, 48, born abt 1882 in Nebraska.  Married HOH. Owns home at 2096 Lime Ave, Long Beach, CA. No radio set.   Foreman, woolen mill. Household members: Arthur M. Beacham 48 HOH, Alice L. Beacham 37 wife, Donald E. Beacham 18 son, Angie W. Harritt 64 mother-on-law.

1940 Federal Census. Alice L. Beacham, 47, born abt 1893 in Oregon.  Widowed HOH. Res 2096 Lime Ave, Long Beach, CA.  Finisher, textile works.  8^th grade education. Worked 32 weeks in 1939. Alice L Beacham 47 HOH, Donald E Beacham 28 son (Laborer, textile works).

1950 Federal Census. Donald Beacham, 38, born abt 1912 in Oregon. Married HOH. Residence 5120 Conont St, Signal Hill, CA. Truck driver.  Roseanne Beacham 28 wife.

1917  No Arthur Beacham

1921  Arthur M Beacham (Alice) woolen wkr, h 236 ½ W 4^th Long Beach, CA

Alice Laverne Harritt Beacham. Birth: 18 Apr 1892 in Salem, Oregon. Death: 13 Mar 1978 in Long Beach, California. Burial: Sunnyside Cemetery, Long Beach, CA.

Oregon Statesman 19 Jun 1910, p. 2 – Wedding announcement. At the home of Mrs. Annie Harritt on16 June. Miss Alice L. Harritt married Mr. Arthur M. Beacham, an employee of TKWM. Frank B Gamble was best man. (Four Gamble’s worked for TKWM but no Frank Gamble.)

Oregon Statesman 12 Nov 1911, p. 4 – Mrs. Arthur Beacham and baby Donald returned Saturday afternoon to their home near Hopewell after spending a week with Mrs. Beacham’s mother at 859 S 12^th St.  Mother and babe were thrown from a smashed carriage on the Polk County bridge and were recovering from the ordeal.

The Los Angeles Herald 1 Jul 1915, p. 8 – Announcement of the opening of the Golden State Woolen Mills in Long Beach, CA.

The Long Beach, CA Independent 22 Feb 1940, p. 10 – Arthur M. Beacham obit. Dead at age 54 on 21 Feb 1940.

The Long Beach, CA Independent 26 Jun 1965, p. 13 – Donald Elmer Beacham of 2120 Conant St died on 24 Jan 1965. Survivors: Wife Roseanne and Mrs. Alice Beacham.

1910 Marion County, OR Marriage Record. Arthur M Beacham, 27, born in Pendleton, OR, wool grader, married Alice L. Harritt, 19, born in Silverton, housekeeper, on 16 Jun 1910 in Salem, OR.

1911 Oregon Birth Certificate.  Donald Elmer Beacham born 18 May 1911 at ranch home, in Polk County, Rt 1, Salem, OR. Father Arthur Murdick Beacham, 29, wool grader, woolen mills. Mother Alice Leverne Harritt Beacham, 19, born in Salem, OR. First child. Mother in Oregon, 19 years, in community 5 months.

1918 WW1 Draft Card.  Arthur Murdick Beacham 634 ½ W 4^th St, Long Beach, CA.  Age 36.  Birth Date 13 Jan 1882.  Foreman, Golden State Woolen Mill, 21^st St and Harbor Ave, Long Beach, CA. NOP Alice LaVerne Beacham, same home address. Physical description, tall, slender, grey eyes, brown hair.

1941 WW2 Draft Card.  Donald Elmer Beacham (son) age 29, birth date 18 May 1911 in Salem, OR.  710 E 21^st St, Long Beach, CA.  NOP Alice L Beacham, mother same address. Employer, Santa Ana Woolen Mills, 627 E Washington St, Santa Ana, CA. Physical description:  6’ 91/2”, 285, blue eyes, brown hair, light complexion.  (Undated but assumed to be 1941 based on age)