Laurens-Pike County GaArchives Biographies.....Beckham, Robert Young 1879 - living in 1913
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 15, 2004, 7:37 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 728-729

   ROBERT YOUNG BECKHAM, business manager of the Courier-Herald Publishing Co.,
has been identified with the printing business all his life. He began at the
bottom of the ladder and has made steady progress in practical printing, until
he is now filling a position of some importance in the business in this city.
The Laurens County Herald was the recognized official organ of legal business
for Laurens county and was so appointed on April 1, 1910, which, according to
law, was the earliest possible date the company might assume that position after
its organization.

   Mr. Beckham was born July 30, 1880, in Zebulon, Pike county, Georgia, and is
the son of R. Y. Beckham, Sr., and Laura Jordan. The father was a native son of
Pike county and the mother was reared in Monroe county. The senior Beckham was
clerk of the superior court of Pike county for twelve years, although his
regular vocation is that of a farmer. The son, Robert Y. Jr., was reared on the
home farm and educated in the Pike county common schools, after which he pursued
a course of study at Jeff Davis Institute at Zebulon. In that place he entered a
print shop and gave himself over to the careful study of the business, from the
minor details up to the highest post in a newspaper office. He learned the
multifarious intricacies of job printing as well as the successful conduct of a
newspaper, and his thorough training made it possible for him to assume the
complete charge of the establishment with which he is now connected. After
learning the trade in Zebulon Mr. Beckham went to Atlanta where he was employed
by the Mutual Printing Company; he then came to Dublin and for two years was
with the Mason & Patillo Company and together with them organized the Dublin
Printing Company, which at that time published the Dublin Times, a semi-weekly
paper, which was sold to A. P. Hilton in October, 1907. Mr. Beckham was
thereafter associated for one year with the Courier-Dispatch as advertising
manager, after which he purchased the Cordele Dispatch. He conducted that paper
for a period of eight months, then disposed of it to E. T. Pound, his partner in
the business, and went to Sandersville, where he purchased the Sandersville
Herald. After a brief period of three or four months, he then purchased the
Tennille Tribune, which he combined with the Herald. Later the Herald-Tribune
and the Sandersville Progress were combined, and in that combination Mr. Beckham
still retains an interest. It was on July 6, 1910, that Mr. Beckham became
connected with the Dublin Printing Company. The Laurens County Herald was one of
the popular and progressive papers of the county with a bona fide circulation of
about 2,500 copies. They did an extensive job printing business, having a plant
fully equipped with all that goes to make up a modern and complete job-printing
establishment, and which enabled them to make a strong bid for the business of
the district in their particular line.

   About March 15, 1913, the Dublin Printing Company and the Courier-Dispatch
consolidated their interests under the corporation name of the Courier-Herald,
for the purpose of issuing a daily newspaper, known as the Courier-Herald, this
being the only newspaper published in Laurens county. Mr. Beckham is now
business manager of the Courier-Herald Publishing Company, which, besides
publishing a daily and weekly newspaper, also operates one of the largest
printing plants in this entire section of the state, the company being
capitalized at $30,000.

   Mr. Beckham was married on January 2, 1909, to Miss D'Nena Bridger, the
daughter of Dr. Bridger, a well-known practicing physician of Perry, Houston
county, Georgia. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beckham: Robert
Young, Jr., born September 17, 1909, and Willa Dixie, born May 27, 1911.

   The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Beckham is a
member of the board of stewards of that church.



Additional Comments:
A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/laurens/bios/gbs258beckham.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/

File size: 4.7 Kb