The Thomas.K. Beard home was built around 1912 at 102 Sycamore ave on the corner of Needham avenue Modesto. Thomas' widow Grace Ada sold the home shortly after his death in 1925. It had a couple of different owners before Walter Field president of Field Finance Corporation president of Field Finance Corporation purchased it in 1935. Field lived in the house with his family until about 1957 when he had the house demolished. According to the the Modesto Bee, from late 1960 to 1962 he tried, through his lawyer, to get the city council to rezone property from residential to commercial so that he could build a service station on the vacant lot. Walter Field (1894-1983) was in his sixties at this time, retired and residing in San Mateo. According to his lawyer he apparently wanted to use the house as a rental property. But since he could not find a tenant to rent the house to he decided to tear the house down. By razing the house it he would accomp...