The son of William Bemis and Minerva Strong Bemis was born in Helendale, in the
Victorville-Barstow desert area, on March 13, 1877. For the past 46 years he was a
resident of San Bernardino. He engaged in dairying and ranching until his retirement from
active business.
Throughout his life, Mr. Bemis, who belonged to the widely known Bemis-Roberts-Hancock
clan, played an active role in the San Bernardino Pioneer Society.
His father, originally from New York state, reached San Bernardino county by covered
wagon over a route which took him across the western plains and down the old Mormon Trail
from Salt Lake City, Utah.
His mother ,"a covered-wagon baby" was born in E1 Monte shortly after the
arrival of her parents in another wagon train from the east.
DESERT PIONEERS
Mr. Bemis' mother and father were pioneer farmers in the Helendale area and were among
the first settlers in the then largely uninhabited Mojave desert.
These two articles were taken from the book. "Ingersol' Centurv Annals of San
Bernardino Co 1769-1904"
William Bemis, late of Halleck, was born in New York state. His family were among the
overland emigrants to California. arriving in the San Bernardino valley in the summer of
1853 Mr. Bemis worked as a laborer in the vicinity of San Bernardino until 1873, when he
located in the Mojave country, where he raised stock and farmed until his death. March
30th, 1899, at the age of sixty-four.
He married in San Bernardino in 1868 to Miss Minerva Strong, daughter of Mrs. Frank
Talmadge a native of California, born 1852.
They were the parents of nine children, all now living; Alvin M., Strong, Samuel,
Nettie, Edward, Guy, Mabel, and Opal.
William Henry Robinson, of Halleck, was born in Pottawatomie County, Iowa, August 30th,
1851, the son of William Jones Robinson. a veteran of the Mexican war and a native of
Missouri. The family moved to Utah in 18O2 and about 1858 came to the San Bernardino
valley. In 1868 W.H. Robinson located on the Mojave and engaged in stock raising. He now
has 800 acres of land and is extensively engaged in the business.
In 1879 he married Miss Josephine, daughter of Theodore and Harriet Mathews.
Mr. Mathews was also a Mexican war veteran. Mr and Mrs. Robinson have two sons. William
Edwin born July 18, 1881, and Theodore born October l7th, 1880.
