This is a summary of the changes in ownership that have occurred in the Beall Springs Reservation since its inception. A complete history of those changes is also available.
Following the death of Minerva Massey Beall in 1885, her eight children divided her lands among themselves. Among the parcels was a 13-acre plot surrounding the fresh-water spring. This plot was designated as a Reservation, to be shared equally by the eight heirs, with deed restrictions controlling how the property could be used and regulating disposition of shares. The original owners, each holding a 1/8 share, were Fannie E. King, Julius C. A. Beall, Oliver H. P. Beall, Augusta A. Beall, Missouri A Baker, Elizabeth Overstreet, Augustus Beall, and Anna Beall.
Over the next 26 years, the eight heirs sold or bequeathed shares among each other, so that by 1911 the shares were distributed as follows:
The subsequent distribution of each of these four interests is now described separately.
In 1925, Anna Beall sold her interest to a partnership of Nathan Aaron Johnson and W. E. English. Less than a year later, W. E. English sold out to his partner, leaving Nathan A. Johnson as the sole owner of this 3/8 share.
In 1957, Nathan Johnson died, leaving his estate to his two daughters and one son, each thus having a 1/8 share. By 1978, as a result of bequests and a sale within the Johnson family, the Johnson shares had been recombined under the names of Virginia Johnson (wife of Nathan's grandson) and her son Juddy.
On the last day of 1998, the Johnsons gifted their 3/8 share to the Warren County Board of Commissioners.
O.H.P. Beall died in 1924. His real estate was sold at public auction and acquired by some of the Baker children (see next section).
George Baker died in 1925, leaving his share to his children (each thus having a 1/48 share). Three of those children later purchased the 3/8 share from the O.H.P. Beall estate, giving the Baker children a total 1/2 share (though not distributed equally among them).
By 1963, three of the children had died, leaving their shares to their siblings, resulting in the following distribution:
The subsequent distribution of each of these three interests is now described separately.
Mamie Baker left her share to her brother Nesbit and his wife Pearl (but see next section).
Nesbit died in 1970, leaving his estate to his wife Pearl for the duration of her life and then to their two daughters. Nesbit died before Mamie, so the share he would have inherited from her was also distributed in this manner. When Pearl died in 1987, her will specified that her estate would also go to the two daughters, Ruth Baker Avirett and Joyce Baker Hardzog, so each of them received a 3/16 share.
Nina Willie left her share to her three children, Roy, Forest, and Jewell, each thus receiving a 1/24 share.
Roy Willie left his share to his wife Estelle. When she died in 2000, her share went to her three children from a prior marriage, Diana, John and Ben Palmer, each thus receiving a 1/72 share.
Forest's share went to his wife Vermel, and then to their two daughters, Jewell Ketchin and Vermel Ogilvy, each receiving a 1/48 share.
Jewell Willie White remarried after the death of her first husband. Her estate was divided equally among her second husband, Percy Clark, Al White (her first husband's son from a prior marriage) and two sons, Edward and Jon, each of whom received a 1/96 share. Percy Clark died in 1990, having had no children. His estate was divided as follows:
30% to Mary T. "Tebe" Clark, wife of Percy's brother Stuart, thus giving her a 1/320 share. Percy's will allowed her discretion to divide her share among her children, however there is no evidence she did so before her death in 1997, at which time her estate went equally to her three daughters, Alice Clark, Rosalind Mason, and (Mary) Juliette Roukes, and to the wife of her deceased son Stuart, Jr., Sandra Wilson Clarke, each thus receiving a 1/1280 share.
25% to Frances Irwin, his sister-in-law, thus giving her a 1/384 share.
10% each to James M. Storey, III and Stephen A. Storey, sons of his brother-in-law, each thus receiving a 1/960 share.
10% to Cyril Thomason, his sister's daughter, who thus received a 1/960 share.
5% each to Al, Edward, and Jon White, the children from his second wife's family, each thus receiving a 1/1920 share. When added to the 1/96 share they each received from Jewell Willie White Clark, this gave each of them a total 7/640 share.
The share of Augustus Beall was passed via inheritance to his wife Orchie, then to her son Sam, then to his son Christopher Beall.
Taxes for the 1/8 share once held by Nina Baker Willie (and subsequently dispersed among 16 people) were for several years (1971 - 2003) paid by Jewell Willie Ketchin. This responsibility has been taken over by Jon Gates White. The other shareholders pay their own taxes.
In 2005-2009 owners were asked to consider giving up their share to another owner, in order to reduce the total number of owners and thereby facilitate continued caretaking of the property. Eleven owners relinquished their shares, resulting in the following distribution: