The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 937 

MARWIN W. BEECHAM.

Marwin W. Beecham is one of the successful orchardists of Yakima county. He is
operating thirty acres of land, which are planted to orchard, and he also
carries on general farming. His business interests have been carefully and
wisely conducted and the enterprising and scientific methods which he has
followed have led to success. Mr. Beecham is a native of Minnesota, his birth
having occurred in Forest Prairie township, Meeker county, on the 2d of April,
1870, his parents being Robert and Emma (Watkins) Beecham. The father was born
in New Brunswick, while the mother's birth occurred in London, England. They
were married in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where their parents had located in
pioneer times. Robert Beecham is a veteran of the Civil war. He enlisted in the
Second Wisconsin Infantry and became captain of his company during the last year
of the war. He participated in a number of hotly contested engagements and his
valor and loyalty won him promotion. In 1866 he removed with his family to
Minnesota, where he took up government land and began the development of a new
claim. In 1880 he removed to Nebraska, where he carried on farming until 1887
and then returned to Wisconsin, establishing his home in Dane county, where he
lived for seven years. In 1894 he came to Washington, settling at Everett, where
he and his wife still make their home, and they have reached the ages of
eighty-one and seventy-three years respectively.

Marwin W. Beecham acquired a public school education while spending his youthful
days under the parental roof. He carried on farming in Wisconsin and afterward
learned the machinist's trade, which he followed for twelve years in Everett and
in Seattle, Washington, and during part of that time he was assistant instructor
in mechanics at the State University in Seattle. In 1912 he removed to Yakima
county and purchased twenty acres of land on Ahtanum Heights. This was covered
with sagebrush. He worked diligently to uproot the native growth and make the
land cultivable. Of this tract he has planted eight acres to apple trees and he
also operates twenty-five acres of land belonging to his sisters, of which
twenty-two acres is in orchard. Thus he has altogether thirty acres in orchard
and his trees are in excellent bearing condition. He employs the most scientific
methods in the care of his trees, enriches the soil by the use of fertilizers,
and by spraying and in other ways protects the trees from all that proves
detrimental to the production of the finest fruit. He likewise engages in
raising hay and grain and makes the raising of hogs one of the features of his
business. He has built a good house and substantial barns upon his place and has
a splendidly improved property.

On the 17th of November, 1906, Mr. Beecham was united in marriage to Miss Lydia
Burlingame, who was born at Dufur, Oregon, a daughter of George and Mary
Burlingame, who were pioneers of that state, where the father engaged in
ranching. They now reside on the Ahtanum. Mr. Burlingame having become a rancher
of Yakima county. To Mr. and Mrs. Beecham has been born a son, Robert, who is
now eight years of age.

Fraternally Mr. Beecham is connected with Everett Lodge No. 122, I. O. O. F.,
also with Evergreen Camp of the Woodmen of the World at Everett. He holds
membership with the Congregational church, while his wife is a member of the
Methodist church. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and
he is highly esteemed as a man of sterling worth, enjoying the respect and
confidence of all. Both he and his wife have many friends in their part of the
county and Mr. Beecham is a representative of the enterprising spirit which has
been the dominant factor in the upbuilding and development of the northwest.
Coming to this section of the country in boyhood days, he has witnessed much of
its development and at all times has borne his part in the work of general
progress and improvement.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.