San
Joaquin County
Biographies
AARON RUSSELL BECKWITH
A worthy representative of one of
the most interesting of California pioneer families is Aaron Russell Beckwith,
a native of Porterville, Tulare County, where he was born on March 26, 1888,
the son of C. J. and Lena (Jefford) Beckwith, the
former an extensive grain farmer. When
our subject was five years of age, his parents removed to Woodland, California,
and there engaged in agricultural pursuits.
They had nine children, and six are living today. The father came from
Ohio in 1862, and the mother’s family also hailed from the Buckeye State.
Aaron Beckwith attended the grammar
school at Woodland, and when only fourteen years of age entered the service of
the Southern Pacific Railroad. He
accepted various jobs at first, and then was placed in the maintenance of way
department. For nine years he remained
with the Southern Pacific, working on the Stockton division, and most of the
time having his headquarters at Tracy.
On August 23, 1909, he was married in Sacramento to Miss Violet A.
Noble, a native of Galt, California, the daughter of George W. and Elizabeth
Noble, and a member of a family who came to Sacramento County many years
ago. Mrs. Noble is still living at
Galt. A son, Mrs. Beckwith’s brother,
made his home at Tracy until 1915, when he moved to the present ranch, known as
the Noble Ranch, located on Dry Creek, about four miles from Galt. This ranch consists of 246 acres, and is the
property of Mrs. Noble, and here Mr. Beckwith is conducting a dairy. He has twenty acres of alfalfa, and the rest
of the land is in pasture.
Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith have one son
and one daughter, Chester Russell and Grace Elizabeth. Mr. Beckwith still retains his membership in
the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen.
When Acampo and its wonderful environment shall have been fully
developed, the influence of the life and work of Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith will be
felt and always duly recognized. Mr.
Beckwith’s uncle, Byron, started the irrigation ditch in the Woodbridge
district, and also opened the first drug-store at Lodi, which he later sold to
Graham. He afterwards moved to Colusa,
where he died.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1119. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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