In 1838 the Wabash and Mission Bands of the Potawatomi Indians were moved from northern Indiana, and southern Michigan. They  were marched to a reservation in Kansas which is now referred to as "The Death" march and became known as the Prairie Band. The boundaries of the reservation included the town of Paxico, which was named for a Potawatomi chief. Over time, missionary schools were established by the Catholic and Baptist churches on the reservation. What makes this important to our story of George is that it is known that his older brother Joseph, who had the distinction of  being the first white child born in the county, attended school there, and very possibly, so did George. Also, it is reported that George later attended a Catholic seminary with the intention of  becoming a priest.

George farmed with his father until he moved to Indianapolis to work as a carpenter for his older brother Floribert. His sister, Elizabeth, had married and moved to California in the Los Angeles area. He visited there and fell in love with it. Returned to Kansas where he married Augusta Schott May 15, 1900 at the age of 27 when he moved to California with his new wife, settling on Santa Catalina Island. There he started a fishing charter business and shared a stand on the beach with "Mexican Joe" where they booked the fishing parties. Mexican Joe was known as the best fisherman on the island and taught George the trade.  Santa Catalina and the little town of Avalon are a story in itself which I will not cover here. It has been developed into a very famous resort, hosting many celebrities as residents. But, in 1900 it was mainly undeveloped, rocky cliffs, with little water available. The children attended school on the mainland, 27 miles across sometimes very treacherous water. George can be considered a true pioneer, being among the first year-round settlers on the island.

George and Augusta had 4 children, all born at Avalon, Catalina: Juanita Elizabeth, born Nov. 4, 1901 who is still living at the age of 97 in a nursing home and doing very well. The oldest living Michaelis of that generation; Bertha Catherine was born Sept. 23, 1904 and died Jan. 11, 1974 in San Diego, Cal.; Lillian Mary was born Nov. 16, 1906 and died April 21, 1917 in San Pedro, Cal.; Walter John was born Aug. 25, 1911 and is still living.

Augusta died February 28, 1936 and George three years later, April 17, 1939.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to their son, Walter, for submitting the following story and his remembrances. Walter died in 2000, at age 88, and is sorely missed by all who knew and loved him. I have included a small history of Walter, which I hope you will enjoy.

They lost their home in Avalon in the Fall of 1915 when over half the town burned down. George was on the volunteer fire department when he discovered their house was going to be destroyed. He rushed to the house but when he arrived it was engulfed in flames and burning out of control. All their belonging were lost and he was unable to salvage anything from the fire. George, Augusta and four children moved into a one-room barn for a short period. No electricity or water. In 1916 they moved their few belongings in the Juanita to a two bedroom house they rented in Wilmington, Ca. Wilmington was adjacent to San Pedro and is now the Los Angeles Harbor.

Shortly after that George lost the boat in a foreclosure to pay off his debtors. WW I was coming and he went to work in the shipyards in San Pedro, just missing the draft. After the war he was furnished a boat by a tuna cannery in Wilmington and fished on shares for Albacore. During that time he was fishing the San Clemente Channel, which is about 26 miles South of Catalina, he would visit an old friend that ran a fish camp at Mosquito Harbor on San Clemente. San Clemente Island was owned by the U S Government and with it's rugged terrain and very little water was not of much use and was leased to sheep ranchers, who in turn sub-leased to the fishermen. George bought the camp in 1921. It had a large dinning room and kitchen, 7 tents for guests, plus sleeping quarters for himself and son Walter. The camp could accommodate 14 people. Late in the season of 1925 a fire started on the kerosene stove and the camp went up in flames. And that put an end to the Michaelis Fish Camp. Not too long after the fire the Navy took the island over and moved everybody off, including the sheep ranch and all the sheep they could round up.

Some years later, and out of work, he got on the WPA program and was sent to San Clemente to work for the Navy. In April 1939 he died in a hotel room in San Diego and is buried in the family plot in Wilmington along with his wife Augusta, and daughter Lillian.

Walter John Michaelis, 4th child and only son of George and Augusta Schott Michaelis, was born August 25, 1911 in Avalon, Catalina Island, CA. Married Lila Lou Haller October 1, 1936 in Wilmington, CA, and from that union 3 children were born, 2 daughters and 1 son.

At the age of four moved to Wilmington, CA with his parents and 3 sisters after they lost their home in Avalon from a fire. Augusta and the 4 children continued to live there, with George getting home on occasion when he could.

Walter spent the summers of 1919 through 1923 helping his father with the fish camps as bell hop, helping guests with their bags and taking them back and forth to their boats in his row-boat. At the age of 12 went to work for a drug store in Wilmington as a delivery boy and handy-man, working after school and on Saturdays and Sundays making .25 an hour. At 15 the pharmacist registered him with the State Board of Pharmacy as an apprentice, then at age 18 as Assistant Pharmacist, and at age 21 became a fully registered pharmacist. In 1945 purchased half interest in the store. In 1956, in partnership with his wife, opened a larger store in Torrence, CA. They sold that store in 1970 and retired.