Sharon, this is the CA Death Record for Louisa Westfall Hilliard (misspelled in record). It shows "Westfall" as the father's name, so "Hilliard" had to be either her married name or the name of her mother's later husband, take your choice. Since Louisa had no children, maybe she never married. I would guess that the children born to Westfall took Hilliard's name, as Mama moved along. Didn't you say their mother was Mary Brown Westfall Hilliard Allen? (How sure are you of Mary's birth year?) HILLARD LOUISA 03/20/1856 WESTFALL F CALIFORNIA MADERA 05/08/1952 96 yrs Add What do you think? Joan P.S. The stuff about the Indian treaty is in conflict with other accounts which say the Yosemite Indians didn't sign a treaty. That is one reason the Mariposa Battalion went after Tenaya and his band; he didn't come in to sign a treaty and they wanted him removed to the reservation. Also, it looks like a case of "too many chiefs and not enough Indians." Interesting article just the same. Thanks! P.P.S. The part about "giving all the Indian lands to the whites" is also in error, as there were at least 100 original tribes in California and only 18 signed treaties (which were never ratified by the US Senate and so were invalid). But this is probably a case such as pointed out by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, who said: "I believe the old treaty has never been correctly reported. If we ever owned the land we own it still, for we never sold it. In the treaty councils the commissioners have claimed that our country has been sold to the government. Suppose a white man should come to me and say, 'Joseph, I like your horses, and I want to buy them.' I say to him, 'No, my horses suit me, I will not sell them.' Then he goes to my neighbor, and says to him, 'Joseph has some good horses. I want to buy them but he refuses to sell.' My neighbor answers, 'Pay me the money, and I will sell you Joseph's horses.' The white man returns to me and says, 'Joseph, I have bought your horses and you must let me have them.' If we sold our lands to the government, this is the way they were bought." (The Patriot Chiefs by Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., Viking Press, 1969) ===================================================== In a message dated 10/27/00 5:32:41 PM Pacific Daylight Time, syvonne@earthlink.net writes: > > I received a Fresno Bee article today on Louisa dated 5/18/1952. This one > really has me scratching my head. Her funeral was held at the Ahwahnee > Roundhouse, Raymond, Madera, county. she was "generally known as one of > the oldest Indians in the hills." It says she was close to 100, possibly > older, at least 90. > > Her father: "one of the chiefs whose thumb mark was on the treaties which > gave all the Indian lands to the whites" and lived in Yosemite Valley and > he had no white name > > Her brother: Peter Westfall, last real chief of the Ahwahnee Indians, died > in 1934 > > Sisters: Old Mrs. Roan and Mrs. Charlie Hart > > Louisa had no children. > > Nephew: Charlie Roan > Niece: Lizzie Graham > > This is what is confusing: As some of you know, Bingaman's book said that > Louisa was Pete HILLIARD's sister. Here she has the name Hilliard as well > as Westfall. The article has no explanation for the Hilliard surname. It > lists a brother named Pete who dies in 1934. Just my luck...Pete Hilliard > died in 1934. > > If anyone has more information on this lady, I'd love to hear from you > > Thank you, > Sharon