History

The Beard Family has a distinguished, business history in Modesto and surrounding area. We are proud to be able to display, as part of our legacy, a land grant to Mr. Elihu Burritt Beard (the father of our founder, T. K. Beard) dated 1861 and executed by President Abraham Lincoln for land which today remains in the Beard family. What began in the late 1800's as agriculture and farmland has evolved into a prosperous, community-respected corporation.

Our first corporate endeavor dates back to 1909 when a group of Modestans proposed the Modesto-Oakdale-Newman Railroad which was given the official corporate name of Modesto Interurban Railway - the predecessor to today's Modesto and Empire Traction Company. While Beard Land Improvement Company, which currently holds the majority of our real estate assets, was not incorporated until 1963, its roots can be traced back to Modesto Interurban Railway which held land and warehouses, and to our parent company, Beard Land and Investment Co., a corporation that was founded in 1926.

Beard Land and Investment Co. is comprised of several subsidiaries: Beard Land Improvement Company, along with 1450 Treat Blvd, Inc., 7603 St. Andrews Avenue LLC, and Camp Court LLC, are industrial property development and leasing companies; Modesto and Empire Traction Company is our short line railroad.

Through the years, steady growth and successful investments have made the Beard Companies into a model for a responsible and profitable business. Recent changes have brought the first non-family President onboard, yet Beard Land and Investment Co. continues to this day as a family-owned corporation with a sixth-generation family member as Vice President and over 180 shareholders.