In 1907 Chris was cowboying for a ranch in San Juan Capistrano and had been putting
long hours in the saddle driving 300 head of horse north to the stock yards in Los
Angeles. After the horses were corralled the thirsty cowboys rattled their hocks to a
saloon on Main St. and bellied up to the bar. Before the night was over they all succeeded
in spending what was left of it in the "Iron Hotel."
Next morning, as they sheepishly squinted out from under the brims of their Stetsons at
an understanding Judge they heard the verdict. "Five hours to finish up business and
be out of town." Most of the cowboys saddled up and headed back to the ranch but
Chris still had a five dollar gold piece burning a hole in his pocket so he sacked his
saddle and made tracks towards the train station. The closest he could get to a $5.00
ticket was one for $4.98 to a little desert town named Oro Grande.
It was either hock his saddle or live on $.02 but by a stroke of luck the dishwasher at
the local hotel had a bad case of 'Seagrams flu' so Chris filled in for him that night in
exchange for his meal. The next morning, Judge Bill Robinson sized him up and hired him on
the spot to work on his ranch which was located a few miles north of Oro Grande. So ended
his career as a dish washer.
Not too many months passed before Judge Robinson realized what a hard working and
honest hand he had hired and the next move for Chris was a house to live in and the title
of Foreman.
While still working for Bill Robinson, Chris also homesteaded 160 acres in Helendale
around 1908. He built himself a tent-house and came home on week ends and began fencing
his land. At first there was a boundary dispute with another settler by the name of Pete
Herlick and it became so heated both men carried their 30-30's when working in the fields.
Neither man had a mean hair on their head and it wasn't long before they buried the
hatchet, settled the boundary lines and became the best of friends.
The flood of 1938 wiped Chris out lock, stock and barrel so he decided to sell all his
land between the river and the railroad tracks. He then resettled on his remaining 45 plus
acres east of the tracks which gave him about a quarter mile frontage on Highway 66.
Here he rebuilt, raised alfalfa and had the first vineyard in Helendale. He also sold a
few acres of land to Jim Blaine who built the White Orange Cafe and a group of auto
courts. After George Air Force Base was activated the pilots used Chris' vineyard, alfalfa
fields and trees as a landmark when they made their approach for a landing.
Chris Beck passed away September 20, 1960 and is buried in Victor Valley Memorial Park.
