Few characters who shaped the foothills communities’ past as William Wiley “Uncle Billy”

Rubottom.

When he died in Pomona in 1885, Rubottom left two major legacies to the Inland Valley: one of Rancho Cucamonga’s other an obscure, haunted cemetery instead of what might have been the major city in the foothills.

Yet for all of his sins – and by most accounts they were legion – many feel that “Uncle Billy” atoned for his past sins twice – once when he saved his neighbor from a lynch mob and when he spent his remaining years caring for the son of a man he killed.

Fiery temper By some accounts, he arrived in California in the 1840s just ahead of authorities seeking to make the hot-tempered southerner “kiss rope” for past murders.

After being accused of stealing, selling or freeing some fugitive slaves, his accusers con- One shot blew Rubottom’s revolver out of bullet tore into his abdomen. Rubottom quickly unsheathed his Bowie knife with his teeth and counterattacked his heavily-armed assailants – quickly dispatching them. 

Rubottom opened the Trailside Inn (later the Sycamore Inn) in Rancho Cucamonga along the stage coach road that became Route 66.

He then founded Spadra - the town that became the precursor to Pomona.

A mob gathered in the inn to plot the lynching of Rancho Cucamonga owner John Rains’ widow Dona Merced (then considered complicit in the murder). Rubottom and his son James reportedly served the startled conspirators dinner their weapons and sent them home.

The other act of atonement for Uncle Billy’s life began in the 1850s when his daughter Civility married dashing young Army After their son Kerwan was born in 1857, the marriage grew contentious and Civility took her son and left Dorsey to live with Uncle Billy.

Rubottom welcomed his daughter and grandson and warned Dorsey to leave her alone, yet Dorsey managed to take Kerwan back to their home in San Gabriel. Civility responded by retrieving Kerwan at an unguarded moment and returned to Rubottom’s home.

According to historian F.P. Brackett, when Dorsey returned to the house, Rubottom issued a stern warning, and Dorsey replied “I’ll have my wife or die in the attempt.” As Dorsey tossed a dueling pistol to Uncle Billy, the old man instinctively jerked his shotgun and killed his advancing son-in-law.

“Those who knew him best said that Uncle Billy always grieved for the man,” wrote Brackett. Rubottom raised his grandson until his own health failed and Kerwan cared for his grandfather in his declining years.