About the Tarwater Family

While there was a large presence of Tarwater families in Mendocino County, California as early as 1857, there was only one Tarwater family who lived in Gualala; Albert Ross Tarwater and Addie Belle Ledford. Albert was the son of Gideon Tarwater, who emigrated to California from Missouri around 1870. Addie Belle Ledford was the daughter of Simpson Monroe Ledford and Emma Missouri Gibbons. Albert Ross and Addie Belle’s names match up with the middle initials for the parents of Beulah, as recorded on the tombstone, which no longer exists, by local historian, Susan Clark.

However, at the time of the cemetery inventory in 1978, the Gualala Cemetery was largely overgrown. And the year of death, 1877, appears to have been mis recorded.

Albert Ross Tarwater (b. 12 August 1862 in Ray County, Missouri) married Addie Belle Ledford (b. 22 August 1867, likely in Sutter County, California), at the Grand Hotel in Point Arena, Mendocino County, California on 10 July 1890. A search of local newspaper records found the couple had a daughter in July 1897. While no mention of the child’s death has been found, the 1900 U.S. Federal Census recorded Addie only gave birth to one child prior to that year, and the child was no longer living. The 1910 U.S. Federal Census also supported this information. Given Albert and Addie’s birthdates, they would not have been of age to have had a child in 1877, nor were they married.

Albert Ross Tarwater served as the Gualala Postmaster for many years and was the postmaster when the Gualala Post Office moved into a new building in 1904. The newspaper often referred to him as the mayor, but it was probably a term of endearment as Gualala was not known to have ever had a mayor. Albert also was the express agent for the community and owned a boot /shoe shop. Addie was known to fill in for Albert’s many jobs in his absence or during time of illness.

The couple left Gualala in 1913, moving to Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California and then Doyle, Lassen County, California. In 1916, the couple moved to Auburn, Placer County, California, and had two of Addie’s nieces living with them. Albert had continued his work owning a shoe shop that operated out of the Masonic Building in Auburn. Addie died on 8 June 1928 in Auburn, California. Albert lived the rest of his life in Auburn, passing away 7 December 1947.

Research compiled by Kelly Richardson, APR, AG. Anchored Genealogy.