Notes for John Wilson Beck

Family Group Sheet

Notes for John Wilson Beck

!Source:

!Note: John Beck and family crossed the plains in 1865 with his family and
settled in Walla Walla. In 4 years they went west to Yakima Valley. He was one of the first men to raise fruit in Yakima County. He served in the Civil War.

!Note: "Pioneer Line of Orlando Beck" has:
Name: Judge John Whitson Beck, b 15 Jul 1828, m 29 oct 1851.
"LDS AFN" has: Name John Wilson Beck, b 14 Jul 1828, m 30 oct 1851

!CENSUS: 1871 Yakima Co. Wa. b IN age 71, occp. Phys. Living with wife Martha Goodwin and four children, James A 17, Roswell M 16, Wm Douglas 15, Orlando 14.

!Note: Yakima Cnty Death Records: has b 15 Jun 1828.

Name: John Wilson Beck
Birth: 17 JUL 1828 in Owen County, Indiana
Death: 17 AUG 1903 in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington
John and Martha Beck removed from Owen County, Indiana to Sullivan County, Missouri prior to the birth of their son, Orlando who was born there on November 4, 1857. John Beck entered land in Sullivan County, Missouri on October 10, 1859 They pioneered there until 1865. John Beck who served in the Civil War, states: "After the close of the war I got the western fever, like a great many other people of the East. "
On June 1, 1865 their band of pioneers met at Fort Kearney, Nebraska, according to agreement and started across the plains by ox teams" under the guidance of Lewis Heddie Goodwin, Martha's brother.
John Beck related "We followed the old Oregon trail and experienced the usual hardships of such a long journey by land. We had no trouble with the Indians, for they were well under subjection by that time. We landed in Walla Walla, Washington Territory, September 18, 1865. That was a small place then with perhaps five hundred population."
In the spring of 1869, John and Martha Beck left for the Yakima Valley. "This was a memorable journey, and when I look back I marvel at the development that has taken place in a few short years. We crossed the Columbia at Umatilla and followed up its west bank to the Yakima, and thence to the present site of Prosser, where we crossed the Yakima. " At the time there were only twenty or so families living in the whole area. "While I enjoyed the isolation, we had to put up with a great many hardships and privations."
Judge John and Martha Beck were prominent pioneers of the Yakima valley. He was one of the first men in central Washington to raise fruit and was the first nurseryman in Yakima County. John Beck received his title of judge from his having served as justice of the peace for twenty years continuously. He was the first to hold that office in the county, having been appointed in 1870. It is stated that in all the years of his service as justice, and very many cases were tried before him, he rendered just one decision that was reversed by an higher tribunal.
CROSSING THE PLAINS IN 1865 by John Beck, August 12, 1947
The westward journey of John and Martha Beck and their four sons--started from a point about twelve miles north of Springfield, Missouri, in the spring of 1863. From there they moved to Milan, Missouri, remaining there one year. In the spring of 1864 they moved to Iowa and there, between the towns of Afton and Osceola, they settled upon a piece of prairie land and planted a crop of wheat."
John and Martha Beck had planned to cross the plains to Seattle and at their location in Iowa were awaiting the arrival of Dr. Lewis Goodwin to guide the covered wagon train. By a prearranged plan the Beck family stopped at a point in eastern Nebraska to await the arrival of more emigrants to join their train."
The journey across the prairie country was quite eventful and yielded both happiness and sorrow. Frequently in the evenings when they had "made camp" and finished the evening meal, the pioneers would enjoy a round of dancing to the music of fiddles and banjos, with the sodden earth their ballroom floor and the evening sky their only canopy."
Following the banks of the Platte River for many miles they decided, finally, to cross the river. Having been warned of dangerous quicksand in the river, a number of men waded the stream carrying poles which they used in sounding for quicksand. At last a safe crossing was found and the train - - crossed the river and proceeded westward."
The train continued on its slow plodding course along the Oregon Trail.. At times there was insufficient feed for the livestock. At the end of one tiresome day the water was found to be unfit for man or beast and their thirst was very uncomfortable,
During the journey down the Snake River one of John Beck's horses died of exhaustion. However, he was not to be delayed by any misfortune and a milk cow was pressed into service alongside the remaining horse of that team. A horse collar was placed upside down upon the cow. She pulled her share of that wagon load the remainder of the way to Walla Walla.
Here the majority of the train stopped, the time being the middle of September 1865. Several families, including those of the Lindseys and Dr. Lewis Goodwin, journeyed on to the Yakima Valley. To John Beck, the Walla Walla River seemed to offer the long sought opportunity to irrigate; he and his family decided here was the place to make their home and they began at once to build a log house, also shelter for their livestock. Winter came early and it was a severe one. The snow reached a depth of four feet and lasted later than usual. The supply of food ran low and starvation seemed a possibility; it might have become a reality had it not been for some friendly Indians who made trips at stated intervals to bring both smoked salmon and venison.
The following three years were the opposite in type from 1865. Very little snow fell in that area--so little in fact that the Walla Walla River was nearly dry at the beginning of the irrigation season. This shattered John Beck's dream of an irrigated farm. Early in the spring of 1869 he came on horseback to the Yakima Valley and after a short survey of water possibilities, he returned to Walla Walla and brought his family to Yakima County, near Union Gap, where he homestead land; This was in September of 1869. Once more with the cooperation of others they built a ditch to cover part of his farm. This ditch had its intake near where the Moxee bridge now stands. At the time of his arrival at Union gap there were about thirty families living in what now comprises Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties.
Judge John W. Beck, as he was known to the local citizens of his time, died at the age of seventy-five years after realizing his dream of living in a prosperous and contented community in the Golden West.
Crossing the Plains in 1865 is a written narrative of oral history that was handed down bit by bit to John Beck from his father, James Beck; grandfather, John Beck; and Uncles Orlando and Douglas (W. D. ) Beck. It was written August 12, 1947
Marriage 1 Martha Goodwin b: 29 SEP 1830 in Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana
Married: 30 OCT 1851 in Owen County Indiana 4
Children
James Abner Beck b: 26 JUN 1853 in Gosport, Owen County, Indiana
Roswell Beck b: 7 NOV 1854 in Gosport, Owen County, Indiana
William Douglas Beck b: 3 JAN 1856 in Owen County, Indiana
Orlando Beck b: 4 NOV 1857 in Sullivan County, Missouri
Sources:
Washington Pioneers Vol III, Washington State Genealogy Pub; Zane Fanning 8008 Hunter, Raytown, MO 64138;
Title: 1850 OWEN CO. IN CENSUS
Publication: Enumerated 27 Sept 1850 by Saml Dunning
Repository:
Note: FHC Everett, WA