William Mayfield facts for kids

William Mayfield (1810–1862) was an early American pioneer. He lived in Illinois, Texas, and California. William was a soldier, farmer, miner, and a cattleman (someone who raises cattle). He led a local group of fighters in Tulare County to help settlers during the early part of the Owens Valley Indian War. He was killed in the Battle of Mayfield Canyon.

Early Life and Adventures

William Mayfield was born in Tennessee in 1810. His parents were Elijah and Elizabeth Mayfield. In 1828, he married Terissa Faller, also known as "Tussa." They had two sons, John and Benjamin Mayfield, born in Illinois.

Soldier in Illinois

In 1832, William Mayfield served as a private in the Black Hawk War. This was a conflict between the United States and Native American tribes. His unit was part of the Mounted Volunteers. They joined the fight in April 1832 and served for about a month.

Moving to Texas

In the spring of 1837, William Mayfield moved his family to Texas. He received a large piece of land, about 1,280 acres, in Washington County. This was a "land grant," meaning the government gave him the land. He had to be a good citizen for three years before the land was fully his. He later bought even more land.

William also served as a soldier in Texas. He was a Second Corporal in the Texas Rangers. He fought in the Texian-Cherokee War from March to September 1839. His unit was involved in the Battle of the Neches.

William's third son, Thomas Jefferson Mayfield, was born in 1843. Thomas Jefferson later said his father fought in the Mexican–American War. However, there are no official records to confirm this. After his first wife, Terissa, passed away, William married Mary Ann Curd in 1848.

Journey to California

In 1849, William and his family started a trip to California. They planned to go with a U.S. Army wagon train. But they were sent back because of dangers from the Lipan Apache tribe on the trail.

Instead, they took a long six-month ship journey. They sailed from Galveston all the way around Cape Horn (the southern tip of South America) to reach California.

Settling in California

After landing in San Francisco, William took his family south. They went to the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley. This area is now Tulare County. They settled near where Sycamore Creek meets the Kings River.

There, William and his sons built a cabin. They started growing crops and looking for gold (mining). Sadly, William's second wife, Mary, passed away in 1850.

In 1851, William left his youngest son, Thomas, to live with the Choinumni people. The Choinumni were a friendly Yokuts tribe living across the river. William and his two older sons then spent the next 10 years mining and raising cattle.

During this time, William Mayfield helped survey (map out) Tulare County. He also brought the first hogs to the area around Tulare Lake. He and his sons raised cattle and horses throughout the San Joaquin Valley. They even captured wild horses. William became very well known in the valley.

The Owens Valley Indian War

In 1861, many cattle were being moved over the Sierra Nevada mountains. They were needed to feed people in the growing mining town of Aurora. Some cattle ranchers also started farms in the nearby Owens Valley.

A very bad winter in 1862, known as the Great Flood of 1862, caused problems. The cattle ate much of the food that the Owens Valley Paiute people relied on. This led to the Paiute facing starvation. They were forced to take cattle to feed themselves. This caused a conflict with the ranchers, which soon turned into a war. This conflict is known as the Owens Valley Indian War.

Mayfield's Last Battle

The settlers in Owens Valley asked for help from Visalia, the county seat. William Mayfield led a group of fighters from Tulare County to help them.

William and his 60 men joined forces with other fighters. They marched north and fought the Paiute in the Battle of Bishop Creek. William's group had to retreat. The next day, they met another group of California Volunteers. William and 40 of his men joined them.

On April 9, 1862, William's group advanced into a canyon. This canyon is now called Mayfield Canyon. They fought the Paiute, who were above them in the canyon. William Mayfield was wounded during the fight. As he was being carried away, he was killed. Mayfield Canyon was later named in his honor.

William Mayfield's Legacy

After William Mayfield's death, none of his sons married or had children.

• His son John continued to herd cattle. He died around 1870.
• Benjamin became a miner. He was involved in a legal case after he killed an outlaw named John Mason. He was found innocent but died a sad man in the 1870s.
• Thomas Jefferson Mayfield became famous after his death in 1928. He was known for the stories of his childhood living among the Choinumni tribe.

Today, the spot where the Mayfield cabin once stood is now under Pine Flat Lake.