In the 1890's the United States created a reservation of 160 for the Chemehuevis at Twentynine Palms, some distance from the oasis and far from any water source. It is believed that the Southern Pacific Railroad desired the oasis and had put pressure on Washington to remove the Chemehuevis. The area is a desert, flat with brush and surrounded by mountains and they refused to leave the oasis. In 1909, True attempted to move the Indians to Morongo or Agua Caliente, but many refused. It was only after she took the children to enroll them in school that most of the elders moved to Banning. Among the Chemehuevi that remained was the Mike and Pine families.
William Mike, known as "Old Mike" was a respected leader of the Chemehuevi band at Twentynine Palms along with Jim Pine.
Willie Boy also lived at Twentynine Palms, when he was not working on a ranch. According to the 1900 Federal Census Records, Willie Boy was a Piute Indian, born in 1881. He was single and his occupation was a farm laborer. His name on the census records is Willie Boy.
Willie Boy became infatuated with William Mike's young daughter. She is listed in the 1900 Federal Census records as Nancy, born in 1892 in California.
Willie Boy and Carlota were cousins, and Chemehuevis "back then kept track of who were their relatives, who you could and could not marry." She pointed out that both Willie and Carlota wanted to marry. "They wanted it, but the families couldn't let it happen."
July 1909,Old Mike brought his family from their home at Twentynine Palms to work on the Gilman ranch near Banning for fruit picking season and to attend the fiesta being held at the reservation. Because Old Mike spoke Chemehuevi, Serrano and Cahuilla, and was a well respected Shaman among his people, Gilman appointed him work foreman. Willie Boy worked at the ranch also and stayed in the bunk house, while Old Mike's family slept under the trees.
On the evening of September 26, Willie Boy came to where the Mike family was camping on the Gilman ranch, armed with a gun he had stolen from the Gilman ranch. According to Joe Benitez, Willie Boy and Old Mike fought and Willie Boy shot and killed Old Mike. But it was no accident. The gun shot had wakened Maria Mike and she saw Willie Boy standing over her husband's body. Fearing that he was going to harm her family, she wrestled with the gun, but Willie Boy was able to overpower her. He had come for Carlota and threatened to kill the family, so Maria told Carlota to go with him.
The story was told over the years in bits and pieces because it was their custom to not speak of the dead. That custom has changed recently because they want to have their truth told.
http://www.caughtdeadtorights.com/WillieBoy%20Excerpt.htm
∼In 2020, Clifford E. Trafzer published Willie Boy & The Last Western Manhunt. He conducted many interviews with Chemehuevi Indians, including the Mike Family. On page 170 he states:
"The family buried William Mike and Carlota Mike next to each other in the Moravian Cemetery on the Morongo Reservation. ... During the years following Mr. Mike's death, various Mike family members buried their loved one in the same cemetery to be close to William, Maria, and Carlota."
Further biographic information from page 50-51 of the same source:
"William Mike, who had brought his people from Chemehuevi Valley to the Oasis of Mara (Twentynine Palms)... Jim Mike [William's brother] also lived at Twenty-Nine Palms with his wife, Maria or Mary. A number of their children carried the surname of Mike, while others adopted the name Boniface. These children included BIlly Mike, Minnie (also known as Annie), Lucy, Bob, and Jeff. Jim served as chief of the Chemehuevi at Twenty-Nine Palms until his death in 1903 when mourners buried him at the cemetery on Adobe Road. Following his death, his younger brother, William Mike, became the Thau Winthum or chief of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Chemehuevi Indians."
William Mike, known as "Old Mike" was a respected leader of the Chemehuevi band at Twentynine Palms along with Jim Pine.
Willie Boy also lived at Twentynine Palms, when he was not working on a ranch. According to the 1900 Federal Census Records, Willie Boy was a Piute Indian, born in 1881. He was single and his occupation was a farm laborer. His name on the census records is Willie Boy.
Willie Boy became infatuated with William Mike's young daughter. She is listed in the 1900 Federal Census records as Nancy, born in 1892 in California.
Willie Boy and Carlota were cousins, and Chemehuevis "back then kept track of who were their relatives, who you could and could not marry." She pointed out that both Willie and Carlota wanted to marry. "They wanted it, but the families couldn't let it happen."
July 1909,Old Mike brought his family from their home at Twentynine Palms to work on the Gilman ranch near Banning for fruit picking season and to attend the fiesta being held at the reservation. Because Old Mike spoke Chemehuevi, Serrano and Cahuilla, and was a well respected Shaman among his people, Gilman appointed him work foreman. Willie Boy worked at the ranch also and stayed in the bunk house, while Old Mike's family slept under the trees.
On the evening of September 26, Willie Boy came to where the Mike family was camping on the Gilman ranch, armed with a gun he had stolen from the Gilman ranch. According to Joe Benitez, Willie Boy and Old Mike fought and Willie Boy shot and killed Old Mike. But it was no accident. The gun shot had wakened Maria Mike and she saw Willie Boy standing over her husband's body. Fearing that he was going to harm her family, she wrestled with the gun, but Willie Boy was able to overpower her. He had come for Carlota and threatened to kill the family, so Maria told Carlota to go with him.
The story was told over the years in bits and pieces because it was their custom to not speak of the dead. That custom has changed recently because they want to have their truth told.
http://www.caughtdeadtorights.com/WillieBoy%20Excerpt.htm
∼In 2020, Clifford E. Trafzer published Willie Boy & The Last Western Manhunt. He conducted many interviews with Chemehuevi Indians, including the Mike Family. On page 170 he states:
"The family buried William Mike and Carlota Mike next to each other in the Moravian Cemetery on the Morongo Reservation. ... During the years following Mr. Mike's death, various Mike family members buried their loved one in the same cemetery to be close to William, Maria, and Carlota."
Further biographic information from page 50-51 of the same source:
"William Mike, who had brought his people from Chemehuevi Valley to the Oasis of Mara (Twentynine Palms)... Jim Mike [William's brother] also lived at Twenty-Nine Palms with his wife, Maria or Mary. A number of their children carried the surname of Mike, while others adopted the name Boniface. These children included BIlly Mike, Minnie (also known as Annie), Lucy, Bob, and Jeff. Jim served as chief of the Chemehuevi at Twenty-Nine Palms until his death in 1903 when mourners buried him at the cemetery on Adobe Road. Following his death, his younger brother, William Mike, became the Thau Winthum or chief of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Chemehuevi Indians."
In the 1890's the United States created a reservation of 160 for the Chemehuevis at Twentynine Palms, some distance from the oasis and far from any water source. It is believed that the Southern Pacific Railroad desired the oasis and had put pressure on Washington to remove the Chemehuevis. The area is a desert, flat with brush and surrounded by mountains and they refused to leave the oasis. In 1909, True attempted to move the Indians to Morongo or Agua Caliente, but many refused. It was only after she took the children to enroll them in school that most of the elders moved to Banning. Among the Chemehuevi that remained was the Mike and Pine families.
William Mike, known as "Old Mike" was a respected leader of the Chemehuevi band at Twentynine Palms along with Jim Pine.
Willie Boy also lived at Twentynine Palms, when he was not working on a ranch. According to the 1900 Federal Census Records, Willie Boy was a Piute Indian, born in 1881. He was single and his occupation was a farm laborer. His name on the census records is Willie Boy.
Willie Boy became infatuated with William Mike's young daughter. She is listed in the 1900 Federal Census records as Nancy, born in 1892 in California.
Willie Boy and Carlota were cousins, and Chemehuevis "back then kept track of who were their relatives, who you could and could not marry." She pointed out that both Willie and Carlota wanted to marry. "They wanted it, but the families couldn't let it happen."
July 1909,Old Mike brought his family from their home at Twentynine Palms to work on the Gilman ranch near Banning for fruit picking season and to attend the fiesta being held at the reservation. Because Old Mike spoke Chemehuevi, Serrano and Cahuilla, and was a well respected Shaman among his people, Gilman appointed him work foreman. Willie Boy worked at the ranch also and stayed in the bunk house, while Old Mike's family slept under the trees.
On the evening of September 26, Willie Boy came to where the Mike family was camping on the Gilman ranch, armed with a gun he had stolen from the Gilman ranch. According to Joe Benitez, Willie Boy and Old Mike fought and Willie Boy shot and killed Old Mike. But it was no accident. The gun shot had wakened Maria Mike and she saw Willie Boy standing over her husband's body. Fearing that he was going to harm her family, she wrestled with the gun, but Willie Boy was able to overpower her. He had come for Carlota and threatened to kill the family, so Maria told Carlota to go with him.
The story was told over the years in bits and pieces because it was their custom to not speak of the dead. That custom has changed recently because they want to have their truth told.
http://www.caughtdeadtorights.com/WillieBoy%20Excerpt.htm
∼In 2020, Clifford E. Trafzer published Willie Boy & The Last Western Manhunt. He conducted many interviews with Chemehuevi Indians, including the Mike Family. On page 170 he states:
"The family buried William Mike and Carlota Mike next to each other in the Moravian Cemetery on the Morongo Reservation. ... During the years following Mr. Mike's death, various Mike family members buried their loved one in the same cemetery to be close to William, Maria, and Carlota."
Further biographic information from page 50-51 of the same source:
"William Mike, who had brought his people from Chemehuevi Valley to the Oasis of Mara (Twentynine Palms)... Jim Mike [William's brother] also lived at Twenty-Nine Palms with his wife, Maria or Mary. A number of their children carried the surname of Mike, while others adopted the name Boniface. These children included BIlly Mike, Minnie (also known as Annie), Lucy, Bob, and Jeff. Jim served as chief of the Chemehuevi at Twenty-Nine Palms until his death in 1903 when mourners buried him at the cemetery on Adobe Road. Following his death, his younger brother, William Mike, became the Thau Winthum or chief of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Chemehuevi Indians."
William Mike, known as "Old Mike" was a respected leader of the Chemehuevi band at Twentynine Palms along with Jim Pine.
Willie Boy also lived at Twentynine Palms, when he was not working on a ranch. According to the 1900 Federal Census Records, Willie Boy was a Piute Indian, born in 1881. He was single and his occupation was a farm laborer. His name on the census records is Willie Boy.
Willie Boy became infatuated with William Mike's young daughter. She is listed in the 1900 Federal Census records as Nancy, born in 1892 in California.
Willie Boy and Carlota were cousins, and Chemehuevis "back then kept track of who were their relatives, who you could and could not marry." She pointed out that both Willie and Carlota wanted to marry. "They wanted it, but the families couldn't let it happen."
July 1909,Old Mike brought his family from their home at Twentynine Palms to work on the Gilman ranch near Banning for fruit picking season and to attend the fiesta being held at the reservation. Because Old Mike spoke Chemehuevi, Serrano and Cahuilla, and was a well respected Shaman among his people, Gilman appointed him work foreman. Willie Boy worked at the ranch also and stayed in the bunk house, while Old Mike's family slept under the trees.
On the evening of September 26, Willie Boy came to where the Mike family was camping on the Gilman ranch, armed with a gun he had stolen from the Gilman ranch. According to Joe Benitez, Willie Boy and Old Mike fought and Willie Boy shot and killed Old Mike. But it was no accident. The gun shot had wakened Maria Mike and she saw Willie Boy standing over her husband's body. Fearing that he was going to harm her family, she wrestled with the gun, but Willie Boy was able to overpower her. He had come for Carlota and threatened to kill the family, so Maria told Carlota to go with him.
The story was told over the years in bits and pieces because it was their custom to not speak of the dead. That custom has changed recently because they want to have their truth told.
http://www.caughtdeadtorights.com/WillieBoy%20Excerpt.htm
∼In 2020, Clifford E. Trafzer published Willie Boy & The Last Western Manhunt. He conducted many interviews with Chemehuevi Indians, including the Mike Family. On page 170 he states:
"The family buried William Mike and Carlota Mike next to each other in the Moravian Cemetery on the Morongo Reservation. ... During the years following Mr. Mike's death, various Mike family members buried their loved one in the same cemetery to be close to William, Maria, and Carlota."
Further biographic information from page 50-51 of the same source:
"William Mike, who had brought his people from Chemehuevi Valley to the Oasis of Mara (Twentynine Palms)... Jim Mike [William's brother] also lived at Twenty-Nine Palms with his wife, Maria or Mary. A number of their children carried the surname of Mike, while others adopted the name Boniface. These children included BIlly Mike, Minnie (also known as Annie), Lucy, Bob, and Jeff. Jim served as chief of the Chemehuevi at Twenty-Nine Palms until his death in 1903 when mourners buried him at the cemetery on Adobe Road. Following his death, his younger brother, William Mike, became the Thau Winthum or chief of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Chemehuevi Indians."
Gravesite Details
He is in the Moravian Cemetery in Banning, see memorial #263261443 which cites a published, reliable source that states William, his wife Maria and daughter Carlota were all buried there together.
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