39°24'35"N 118°46'37"W (approximate)

We Visited: Not Yet
Our Breakfast:
Our Dinner :

From Fallon: From Fallon: Head west on W Williams Ave toward N Carson St 0.2 mi; turn left onto US-95 Sand continue for 4.1 mi; turn left onto E Corkill Ln and go for about 0.5 mi.

A Mr. Louis Alphonso Beckstead, born March 6, 1870 in Utah, lived in Georgetown, CA in 1896, and is listed on the California Voter Registraion rolls as "having a scar on his upper lip," being 5'9 1/2" tall with a medium complexion, gray eyes, and dark hair. In 1900 the census shows him still living in Georgetown, being single, and working as a butcher. He is listed in the 1910 the Federal census, and shows him living in Rawhide with his wife Carrie. He worked as a "miner in a copper mine" and she worked as a public school teacher. Churchill County World War I draft registrations shows his name as well. In 1911, according to the lovely and talented Bunny Corkill of the Churchill County Museum, the Becksteads moved several buildings from Rawhide to a location south of Fallon, and it became known as the Beckstead Store. An 1868 Land Office plat shows a "Fogg's Station" or "Fagg's Station" in this general locality.

The 1920 census shows him living in the St. Clair District as a farmer. A 1930 U.S. census lists Louis A. Beckstead and his wife Caroline living at 44 North Broadway St. in Fallon. A 1940 census shows them living in Fallon at house # 35 N. Broadway. He died in Phoenix, Arizona on November 28, 1942. His "usual occupation" was listed as "storekeeper." He was buried in Kelsey, California, near Placerville.

Then there is an "F.A. Beckstead" who is mentioned in the newspapers as being a respected merchant in Fallon. I'm guesssing it's a misprint. Or maybe not. Ton's of Becksteads running around back in the day. Caroline A. Beckstead was his wife.

Beckstead was into a lot of things-- mining, farming, and real estate. It seems that keepingthe store only occupied him for a shit while.

L.A. Beckstead returned yesterday morning to the new camp of Red Hills, about 20 miles south of Rawhide, between here and Lodi. Mr. Beckstead says there are a dozen prospectors and also one woman here. On one of Mr. Beckstead's claim, the ledge is six feet wide and they are down only a few feet.
-Goldfield News and Tribune, May 22, 1909

Looks like his store or "station" came into existence around 1910 or 1911.

We sell good baled hay at the Norton Ranch for $13 per ton. At our store for $14 per ton. Beckstead Mercantile Co., St. Clair, Nev.
-Churchill County Standard, May 24, 1911

Free delivery! Gotta love that.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY
Bargains, Not Near Bargains, Are Offered By Beckstead's Store
Now that wheat is high and eggs are low we offer you what we consider a bargain in wheat and barley mixed, wheat predominating at $35 per ton.
Bran, shorts and middlings mixed at two cents a pound.
The old reliable Inman flour, one year old, $1.50 per sack.
Nevada's family flour, a thoroughly reliable, guaranteed brand at the same price.
Two cans salmon, 25 cents.
Wheat, two cents per pound.
These are cash prices, subject to change at any time. Good delivered within a radius of five miles, free of charge. We expect to be here with you until Old Dady Time calls for our scalp and writes the word "Finis."
C.A. Beckstead
-Churchill County Standard, February 26, 1913

The cheapest feed on earth-- wheat and barley mixed, $32.50 per ton at Beckstead's store, St. Clair.
-Churchill County Standard, March 12, 1913

Looks like traffic to his store was earing up the road.

The new country road drag owned by Churchill was started last week on a stretch of road between the experiment farm and Beckstead store. It was pulled by 12 horses and worked well. Ruts 18 inches deep and high ridges thrown up by heavy wagons were leveled in good shape.
-Churchill County Standard, March 29, 1913

Don't know if this fell of a wagon or what.

The wages of sin is death; to be sure your sins will find you out, if you do not return that box of Schillings baking powder bearing our name that you found last week. Beckstead Mercantile Company, St. Clair.
-Churchill County Standard, March 3, 1915

St. Clair was having a crime wave.

BECKSTEAD STORE ROBBED LAST THURSDAY NICHT
Thieves Secure $175 In Coin That Had Inadvertently Been Left In Till Over Night.
For the second time within the past two months the store of L. A. Beckstead at St. Clair has been entered and robbed. Last Thursday night thieves broke into the place and rifled the till of $175 in coin, which Mr. Beckstead had inadvertently failed to remove at closing up time as was his usual custom. As nothing else in the place was molested, it would appear that the burglars were familiar with the habits of proprietor and the surroundings and laid their plans for a haul at the psychological moment. About two months ago Mr. Beck-stead lost a valuable saddle and bridle which was pilfered in the same methodical manner and notwithtsanding an offered reward of $50 and no questions asked, the articles were not returned. It is evident that our hitherto orderly community has some undesirables in its midst and we may expect to see a repetition of these cases during the winter unless a careful watch is kept and provisions made for safeguarding property by the employment of additional police protection in the city and the removal of valuable property from shelves and show cases after the day's business.
-The Churchill Standard, November 17, 1915

Even the cows came to Beckstead's store.

ESTRAY-- Came to our place March 14, 1916, one black and white cow, about three years old, with no visible marks or brands. Owner can have same by paying costs of advertising and feeding. Beckstead's store.
-Churchill County Standard, March 22, 1916

All good things must come to an end.

Owing to the fact that we are closing out our entire business and expect to leave within the next 60 days, we will expect everyone of our debtors to come in a settle by that time. L.A. Beckstead.
-The Churchill County Standard, January 15, 1919

TO THE PUBLIC.
Don't forget that we have sold only about half of our goods and that we can save you all kinds of money by trading here as long as there is anything left. Study our prices and judge for yourself.
-February 5, 1919

FOR SALE-- All kinds of horses. Beckstead's Store
-The Churchill County Standard, March 5, 1919

He was not afraid of reminding people what fate awaited them.

LOST OR STOLEN-- My Automobile crank. Finder please return and get a fre joy ride to Heaven. Otherwise a vacant chair awaits him below. L.A. Beckstead
-The Churchill County Standard, January 21, 1920

Looks like the store was still hanging in there.

Another big family reunion dance will be given at Beckstead's store next Saturday night, January 31st. Gents, 50c, ladies free. Everybody bring lunch.
-The Churchill County Standard, January 28, 1920

Maybe instead of mining, he should have gone into sagebrush?

SCIENTIST WANTS TON OF CHURCHILL SAGEBRUSH
Says the Fallon Standard : Some time ago experiments were made over this state for the extraction of rubber contents from the various sagebrush and buskbrush growths. Samples of several varieties have been been cultured at the fedral xprimnt farm, and in most instances they have responded to the transplanting, giving evidence of reproduction if necesssary. The state papers have from time to time reviewed the possibility of rubber reproduction from the greasewood sage and rabbit brush, and it has been deterimined that there is rubber existing in the plants. Some years ago a considerable , quantity of rabbit brush was secured from the L. A. Beckstead farm south of this city by university people, both Nevada and California being interested. As nothing further came from this, Mr. Beckstead forgot the incident until he received a letter a few days ago from Professor Hall of the i University of California and Professor Doten of the University of Nevada asking for the privilege of securing a ton lot of this brush from the original stand. Mr. Beckstead has given permission to clear the entire lot if they wish, and is anxious to learn of the final results from this shipment, which will undoubtedly take place within a short time. If it can be shown that sagebrush is the solvent for the present high price of rubber, and thus break England's grip on the commodity, the vast stretches of heretofore worthless sage flats can be put to immediate use.
-Mason Valley News, November 28, 1925

By this time, it's assumed the store was closed and he got back into mining and real estate pursuits.

NEW USES FOUND FOR BARIUM, IT IS STATED
Fallon, Nev.-- Not many Nevadans realize that portion of the hundreds of tons of barium ore being shipped from property of the American Development Company south east of Fallon may come back to them in their non-shatterable windshelds and sedan door glass, according to L.A. Beckstead, since boyhood a mining man and a pioneer of Churchill county. New uses have been found recently not only for barium but for a number of other ores which have come into prominence in Nevda, said Beckstead.
-Reno Evening Gazette, April 11, 1930

On January 30, 1919, L.A. Beckstead was advertising in the Reno Evening Gazette "FOR SALE AT BARGAIN Our entire stock of general merchandise with all the store buildings and fixtures, together with 225 acres patented land... situated five miles from Fallon, in a rich farming belt.... barn 150 feet, store building 45 x 75, residence all furnished, besides 5 other buildings, lots of harnesses and wagons... All for the small sum of $24,000. Write or call Becjstead Mercantile Co, L.A. Beckstead, owner, Fallon, NV. I don't know if he got any takers at that time-- Bunny says they disposed of their store merchandise and sold their ranching interests around 1930.

So, I'm guessing the store/station was in existence after 1910 until some time up until 1919, at least. the station/store was located on what is now E. Corkill Lane, which is all private property.

He passed away in 1942; his wife in 1947.

LOUIS BECKSTEAD DIES IN ARIZONA
FALLON -- Louis A. Beckstead, for almost 40 years a resident of Nevada, and prominent in mining in western Nevada and eastern California, died November 27 at Phoenix, AZ. He had been failing health for the past three years. He was a natic of Utah and was 70 years of age. In 1907 he came to Rawhide where he was interested in mining and real estate. He also prospected arounf Eagleville, Mount Annie, Bell Flat, and Broken Hills. He as bured at Kelsey, Calif. Surviving is his wife, Mrs. Carrie Beckstead.
-Nevada State Journal, December 12, 1942

NEVADA RESIDENT DIES AT AUBURN
FALLON - Mrs. Carrie Beckstead, well known Nevada resident, dies Thursday at the home of her sister, Mrs. P. W. Smith in Auburn, Calif. where she had gone to spend the winter. Funeral services wer held Saturday, with internment at Kelsey, Calif., beside her late husband Louis A. Beckstead, who died in 1942. Mrs. Beckstead was a nattive of Folsom, Calif. and was teaching school there when she married Mr. Beckstead. They were residents of western Nevada for 40 years or more, Mr. Beckstead engaging in mining and farming. Several years ago, Mrs. Beckstead wrote a series of articles on the history of the Rawhide boom.
-Nevada State Journal, January 23, 1947

Private property.