Museum the New Llano Colony



William J. "Bill or Will" Beavers

Birth: He was born in 1898 in Arkansas.  

Family Information:

Son of Cora and J.H. Beavers.

Brother of Max Beavers.

He married Mabel Synoground while living in the colony. In February 1921 they welcomed a baby daughter, Billie Lee Beavers, to the Synoground home.

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: In 1900 he was living in Arkansas with his parents and older sister. In 1910 he was living in Arkansas with his parents and brother.  

Home in Colony:  

Job in Colony: In 1931 he was one of the volunteers who helped with tearing down Cravens, Louisiana, where colonists were salvaging materials from the old sawmill town. Also he and Ernie Extrom were helping Bert Busick and Shoemaker to level the ground and do some preparatory work getting ready to lay the foundation for the first unit of the Tourist Camp buildings.

In 1932 he and his family were living and working at the Gila, New Mexico location. 

Other Info: In April 1922 Harry Bell, Jr. did a sketch assisted by the Misses Louise Belorahdsky, Gertrude West, Rosa Matz and Maxine Gaddis and Comrades Frank Newman and Bill Beavers. "It was a one-act melodrama, and a scream indeed. Harry sang: "They all go wild over me" -- but that [wa]s just his conceit. He [wa]s not the only pebble on the beach. There [we]re others."

In 1930 he was living in Chicago with his wife and son, brother Max Beavers, Clifford Synoground and his family, and Clarence Shutt while working as a bricklayer.

He played third base during a game in August 1931 at Alco -- the "Llano Nine" for that game consisted of Red Richey at pitcher, Dub Killian at catcher, Leon Caves at first base, Carl Van Buskirk at second, Bill Beavers at third, "Tip" Allred at shortstop, Doc Reynolds at left field, Milton Maki at center field and Clarence Shutt in right field. The boys declared it was a rotten game.

In 1932, after the location at Magdalena had failed, Comrade Graves and Bill, along with their families, remained near the location. They were the first to hear about the property at Gila, New Mexico which the colony later made arrangements to purchase.  

Post-Colony History: In 1940 he was living in Leesville, LA with his wife and children while working as a bricklayer for a contractor construction company.  

Death: He died in 1954 and was buried in the Leesville Cemetery in Leesville, Louisiana.  

Sources: US Census: 1900, 1910, 1930, 1940; "Llano Colonist": April 22, 1922, February 12, 1931, March 14, 1931, August 15, 1931, December 10, 1932; FindAGrave.com  

 

The Beavers family.
The Beavers family (L to R) Mabel, Sonny, Bill, Billie Lee.

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