Born September 7. 1898. in Silver City, Grant County, New Mexico, one of seven children to Josephine (Whitehill) and Herbert Hall Bishop. He died at Lomita, Los Angeles County, California, on August 30, 1971.
At one time or another he was a cowboy with the Diamond A Cattle Ranch in New Mexico, a truck driver for a mining company in Ajo, Arizona, soldier, miner, farmer, businessman, and marine machinist.
His maternal ancestors immigrated to America in 1638, 18 years after the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. His maternal grandfather, Harvey H. Whitehill, was the first elected Sheriff of Grant County, New Mexico, and the first lawman to arrest Billy the Kid. His great grandfather, Isaac James Stevens, walked from Minneapolis to Denver in 1859 for mining exploration, and Isaac's first cousin, Isaac Ingalls Stevens, was the first Governor of Washington Territory, who at the time of his death was a General in the Civil War.
William's mother, Josie Bishop, was an actress, author and miner. Known as "Radium Queen of the Mojave Desert" she was featured on Robert Ripley's "Believe It or Not" radio show from New York City in 1941, as well as in articles in Life magazine (Aug 30, 1937) and in the Rocky
Mountain Empire magazine (Apr 11, 1948).
In 1917, while on a visit to his father's birthplace in Virginia, William and his brother Herbert joined the U S Army, serving in World War I. His entire family made the trip in two automobiles from New Mexico to Virginia, at a time when automobile travel for that distance was uncommon.
Upon receiving his discharge from the Army, he and his brother Herbert filed homestead claims on two adjacent farms in Dolores County, Colorado, near the Four Corners area. William was also involved in mining at Rico, Colorado, where he met Gladys Ila Henry, a school teacher from Warrensburg, Missouri. They were married in Rico on May 18, 1928. He continued his involvement with mining in Colorado, Arizona, and later in California, where their first son, William Jr. was born in Placerville on May 25, 1931.
In 1932 with the Depression in full swing, the family returned to the homestead in Colorado. Two additional sons were born there, Robert Henry on October 13, 1937 and Raymond James on March 29, 1940.
William was active in the Masonic Lodge and, after World War II commenced, served on the Selective Service Board of Dolores County. In 1942, however, he left Colorado with his family to participate in the wartime effort at the Shipyards in San Pedro, California. Two additional sons were born, Donald Herbert on May 22, 1943 and John Warnock on October 27, 1949.
During his lifetime, William was independent and self reliant, exhibiting a true pioneering spirit. While working at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard as a marine machinist, where he retired in November 1962, William searched for property where he could get out of the city for a peaceful, rural place to spend his retirement years. On January 2, 1957, he purchased 40 acres near Lake Elsinore.
All his spare time was spent on this property in the canyon where he erected several buildings. He planted many trees in the canyon area, keeping the property in its natural state as much as possible. In the park-like setting, many family members enjoyed camping, hunting, vacationing, and picnicking. William fed the birds each morning to encourage their habitation of the area. He was the only person that ever lived in the canyon. Many times he remarked about the canyon not having a name and felt he should get it named; however, this was not accomplished prior to his death.
At one time or another he was a cowboy with the Diamond A Cattle Ranch in New Mexico, a truck driver for a mining company in Ajo, Arizona, soldier, miner, farmer, businessman, and marine machinist.
His maternal ancestors immigrated to America in 1638, 18 years after the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. His maternal grandfather, Harvey H. Whitehill, was the first elected Sheriff of Grant County, New Mexico, and the first lawman to arrest Billy the Kid. His great grandfather, Isaac James Stevens, walked from Minneapolis to Denver in 1859 for mining exploration, and Isaac's first cousin, Isaac Ingalls Stevens, was the first Governor of Washington Territory, who at the time of his death was a General in the Civil War.
William's mother, Josie Bishop, was an actress, author and miner. Known as "Radium Queen of the Mojave Desert" she was featured on Robert Ripley's "Believe It or Not" radio show from New York City in 1941, as well as in articles in Life magazine (Aug 30, 1937) and in the Rocky
Mountain Empire magazine (Apr 11, 1948).
In 1917, while on a visit to his father's birthplace in Virginia, William and his brother Herbert joined the U S Army, serving in World War I. His entire family made the trip in two automobiles from New Mexico to Virginia, at a time when automobile travel for that distance was uncommon.
Upon receiving his discharge from the Army, he and his brother Herbert filed homestead claims on two adjacent farms in Dolores County, Colorado, near the Four Corners area. William was also involved in mining at Rico, Colorado, where he met Gladys Ila Henry, a school teacher from Warrensburg, Missouri. They were married in Rico on May 18, 1928. He continued his involvement with mining in Colorado, Arizona, and later in California, where their first son, William Jr. was born in Placerville on May 25, 1931.
In 1932 with the Depression in full swing, the family returned to the homestead in Colorado. Two additional sons were born there, Robert Henry on October 13, 1937 and Raymond James on March 29, 1940.
William was active in the Masonic Lodge and, after World War II commenced, served on the Selective Service Board of Dolores County. In 1942, however, he left Colorado with his family to participate in the wartime effort at the Shipyards in San Pedro, California. Two additional sons were born, Donald Herbert on May 22, 1943 and John Warnock on October 27, 1949.
During his lifetime, William was independent and self reliant, exhibiting a true pioneering spirit. While working at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard as a marine machinist, where he retired in November 1962, William searched for property where he could get out of the city for a peaceful, rural place to spend his retirement years. On January 2, 1957, he purchased 40 acres near Lake Elsinore.
All his spare time was spent on this property in the canyon where he erected several buildings. He planted many trees in the canyon area, keeping the property in its natural state as much as possible. In the park-like setting, many family members enjoyed camping, hunting, vacationing, and picnicking. William fed the birds each morning to encourage their habitation of the area. He was the only person that ever lived in the canyon. Many times he remarked about the canyon not having a name and felt he should get it named; however, this was not accomplished prior to his death.
Born September 7. 1898. in Silver City, Grant County, New Mexico, one of seven children to Josephine (Whitehill) and Herbert Hall Bishop. He died at Lomita, Los Angeles County, California, on August 30, 1971.
At one time or another he was a cowboy with the Diamond A Cattle Ranch in New Mexico, a truck driver for a mining company in Ajo, Arizona, soldier, miner, farmer, businessman, and marine machinist.
His maternal ancestors immigrated to America in 1638, 18 years after the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. His maternal grandfather, Harvey H. Whitehill, was the first elected Sheriff of Grant County, New Mexico, and the first lawman to arrest Billy the Kid. His great grandfather, Isaac James Stevens, walked from Minneapolis to Denver in 1859 for mining exploration, and Isaac's first cousin, Isaac Ingalls Stevens, was the first Governor of Washington Territory, who at the time of his death was a General in the Civil War.
William's mother, Josie Bishop, was an actress, author and miner. Known as "Radium Queen of the Mojave Desert" she was featured on Robert Ripley's "Believe It or Not" radio show from New York City in 1941, as well as in articles in Life magazine (Aug 30, 1937) and in the Rocky
Mountain Empire magazine (Apr 11, 1948).
In 1917, while on a visit to his father's birthplace in Virginia, William and his brother Herbert joined the U S Army, serving in World War I. His entire family made the trip in two automobiles from New Mexico to Virginia, at a time when automobile travel for that distance was uncommon.
Upon receiving his discharge from the Army, he and his brother Herbert filed homestead claims on two adjacent farms in Dolores County, Colorado, near the Four Corners area. William was also involved in mining at Rico, Colorado, where he met Gladys Ila Henry, a school teacher from Warrensburg, Missouri. They were married in Rico on May 18, 1928. He continued his involvement with mining in Colorado, Arizona, and later in California, where their first son, William Jr. was born in Placerville on May 25, 1931.
In 1932 with the Depression in full swing, the family returned to the homestead in Colorado. Two additional sons were born there, Robert Henry on October 13, 1937 and Raymond James on March 29, 1940.
William was active in the Masonic Lodge and, after World War II commenced, served on the Selective Service Board of Dolores County. In 1942, however, he left Colorado with his family to participate in the wartime effort at the Shipyards in San Pedro, California. Two additional sons were born, Donald Herbert on May 22, 1943 and John Warnock on October 27, 1949.
During his lifetime, William was independent and self reliant, exhibiting a true pioneering spirit. While working at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard as a marine machinist, where he retired in November 1962, William searched for property where he could get out of the city for a peaceful, rural place to spend his retirement years. On January 2, 1957, he purchased 40 acres near Lake Elsinore.
All his spare time was spent on this property in the canyon where he erected several buildings. He planted many trees in the canyon area, keeping the property in its natural state as much as possible. In the park-like setting, many family members enjoyed camping, hunting, vacationing, and picnicking. William fed the birds each morning to encourage their habitation of the area. He was the only person that ever lived in the canyon. Many times he remarked about the canyon not having a name and felt he should get it named; however, this was not accomplished prior to his death.
At one time or another he was a cowboy with the Diamond A Cattle Ranch in New Mexico, a truck driver for a mining company in Ajo, Arizona, soldier, miner, farmer, businessman, and marine machinist.
His maternal ancestors immigrated to America in 1638, 18 years after the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. His maternal grandfather, Harvey H. Whitehill, was the first elected Sheriff of Grant County, New Mexico, and the first lawman to arrest Billy the Kid. His great grandfather, Isaac James Stevens, walked from Minneapolis to Denver in 1859 for mining exploration, and Isaac's first cousin, Isaac Ingalls Stevens, was the first Governor of Washington Territory, who at the time of his death was a General in the Civil War.
William's mother, Josie Bishop, was an actress, author and miner. Known as "Radium Queen of the Mojave Desert" she was featured on Robert Ripley's "Believe It or Not" radio show from New York City in 1941, as well as in articles in Life magazine (Aug 30, 1937) and in the Rocky
Mountain Empire magazine (Apr 11, 1948).
In 1917, while on a visit to his father's birthplace in Virginia, William and his brother Herbert joined the U S Army, serving in World War I. His entire family made the trip in two automobiles from New Mexico to Virginia, at a time when automobile travel for that distance was uncommon.
Upon receiving his discharge from the Army, he and his brother Herbert filed homestead claims on two adjacent farms in Dolores County, Colorado, near the Four Corners area. William was also involved in mining at Rico, Colorado, where he met Gladys Ila Henry, a school teacher from Warrensburg, Missouri. They were married in Rico on May 18, 1928. He continued his involvement with mining in Colorado, Arizona, and later in California, where their first son, William Jr. was born in Placerville on May 25, 1931.
In 1932 with the Depression in full swing, the family returned to the homestead in Colorado. Two additional sons were born there, Robert Henry on October 13, 1937 and Raymond James on March 29, 1940.
William was active in the Masonic Lodge and, after World War II commenced, served on the Selective Service Board of Dolores County. In 1942, however, he left Colorado with his family to participate in the wartime effort at the Shipyards in San Pedro, California. Two additional sons were born, Donald Herbert on May 22, 1943 and John Warnock on October 27, 1949.
During his lifetime, William was independent and self reliant, exhibiting a true pioneering spirit. While working at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard as a marine machinist, where he retired in November 1962, William searched for property where he could get out of the city for a peaceful, rural place to spend his retirement years. On January 2, 1957, he purchased 40 acres near Lake Elsinore.
All his spare time was spent on this property in the canyon where he erected several buildings. He planted many trees in the canyon area, keeping the property in its natural state as much as possible. In the park-like setting, many family members enjoyed camping, hunting, vacationing, and picnicking. William fed the birds each morning to encourage their habitation of the area. He was the only person that ever lived in the canyon. Many times he remarked about the canyon not having a name and felt he should get it named; however, this was not accomplished prior to his death.
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