23 Mar 1857 – 7 Aug 1892
Oscar Anderson Beaver was born in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California on March 23, 1857 to Henry Stephens Beaver and Lurana Elizabeth Cockrill. He married Jennie Armstrong on June 15, 1884 in what would become Kings County.
He is unfortunately more well known for his death rather than his life, as his death was at the hands of two suspected train robbers, Christopher Evans and John Sontag. The exploits of those two individuals is well documented elsewhere.
Beaver came to Tulare County sometime between 1871 and 1880 possibly at the same time as his parents and brother James. On the 1870 census he was living with his parents in Alisal Township, Monterey County with his parents at the age of 13. Oscar’s oldest brother James was living next to them. On the 1880 census he was a boarder in the home of Charly G. Lamberson and was employed as a saloon keeper. Both his parents and brother James are also in the Lemoore area at this time as well.
On March 22, 1889 a Patent #4306 is granted to Beaver for the south east quarter section at Township 13 South Range 28 East Section 25.
From page 75 of the 1891 Official Historical Atlas of Fresno County. Other Lemoore settlers Fox & Sweetland own the southeast quarter section of section 24.
In the 1892 Historical Atlas of Tulare County he is shown as owning a portion of the northwest 1/4 section of section 15 in Township 19, South Range 20 East. Today this would be about 19th and West Iona.
In the same atlas his sister-in-law Katherine, wife of James, is shown owning and occupying a portion of section 9 in the northeast 1/4 section in Township 19, South Range 20 East, as well. Several pictures of Beaver’s parents property are below.
Beaver was a Tulare County Deputy Sheriff living in Lemoore the night Sontag and Evans were found to be in Visalia. A much more detailed account of Oscar Beaver’s run in with Evans & Sontag can be found at http://www.wendtroot.com/cockrill/d0002/I522.html
Beaver died on the 7th of August, 1892 and is interred in the Lemoore Cemetery in Section 1 Block 9 Lot 13.
Beaver’s name is inscribed on Panel 1, E-21 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.