Historical Highlight: Pioneer Bill McHaney, a legend in his own time
Bill McHaney is one of the earliest residents of Twentynine Palms. He was a gold miner, cattleman, and Twentynine Palms homesteader. He has several claims to fame, including being late to his own funeral. Bill McHaney started a cattle ranch with his brothers near Big Bear, then near Thousand Palms, before moving in the 1860s to what is now known as the Desert Queen Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park. McHaney said the valley was full of antelope and the grass was belly-high on a horse. In 1895,…
