The Tale of William "Billy" Metcalf: A Siletz Saga

Introducing William Metcalf’s Story: A Web of Kinship and Survival

When we research our family history, we often hope to find neat lines of descent on census rolls, allotment ledgers, or direct ancestral charts. But trying to understand how our family survived the devastating forced removals of the 1850s requires looking much wider. To truly see our ancestors, we have to look sideways—into the testimonies, hearings, and lives of the people who shared their trails, protected their children, and maintained an unbroken web of kinship across the coast.

That is why the affidavit depositions surrounding William "Billy" Metcalf—and his foster parents, Robert and Lucy Shellhead Metcalf—are so deeply intertwined with our own family’s history.

As I've traced our direct ancestors, Frank Selsig, Antone Selsig, and Ella Depoe Selsic, the archives continually lead back to the exact same communities and networks. In Lucy Shellhead-Metcalf’s extensive 10-page testimony detailing William’s life, Ella Depoe Selsic is explicitly mentioned as being present at Smith River. And the records hold an even deeper personal kinship: Lucy is our 3rd cousin 3x removed (my generation), connected through her mother, Andeal Siyotesna, and her mother’s father, K'aylish. 

This ties right back to our shared Kwatami-Sixes ancestor, further illuminated by shared family lines where Ella Selsic-Depoe’s grandchildren—Aurilla Selsic Tom and Christine Selsic-Martin—are shared grandchildren of Mary Wilson (Sixes Mary), who shared a common Kwatami grandparent with Lucy's grandfather K'aylish.

Lineage & Kinship Mapping

• Shared Kwatami Ancestry

  • Common Kwatami Grandparent Line

    • K'aylish (Kwatami-Sixes Ancestor / Grandfather of Lucy)

      • Andeal Siyotesna (Daughter)

        • Lucy Shellhead-Metcalf (Granddaughter — married Robert Metcalf)

    • Mary Wilson (Sixes Mary) (Extended family member sharing the common Kwatami grandparent)

      • Grandchildren line intersecting through Mary Wilson:

        • Aurilla Selsic Tom (Grandchild of Ella Selsic-Depoe & shared grandchild through Mary Wilson)

        • Christine Selsic-Martin (Grandchild of Ella Selsic-Depoe & shared grandchild through Mary Wilson)

• Ella Depoe-Selsic's Family Network

  • Father: Joshua band leader (shared community roots with Robert Metcalf)

  • Ella Depoe-Selsic: present at Smith River and at Robert Metcalf's Gold Beach deathbed.

  • Grandchildren: Aurilla Selsic Tom and Christine Selsic-Martin (who tie directly into the Mary Wilson kinship network)

For me, William Metcalf’s story is not an isolated biography of a neighbor; it is a vital missing puzzle piece. It gives us a map of how our family's genetic and historical roots run so deep into the Smith River and Siletz landscape, proving that while federal policies tried to shatter Indigenous communities, our ancestors' kin-networks kept them anchored

To trace the life of William "Billy"Metcalf—known across his lifetime as Billy Chetco, Billy Smith, and Billy Metcalf—is to walk through the unfolding chapters of a nineteenth-century frontier drama. It is a story shaped by displacement, shifting identities, boarding school assimilation, family networks that stretched from Smith River up to the Siletz Reservation, and a high-stakes probate battle over land and legacy.

Siletz group prepared to participate in a Feather Dance in Newport, Oregon - circa 1915
L-R: Annie Fairchild, Martha Johnson, Coquelle Nellie Lane, Ella Spencer, Jim Watts, Simpson Billy, Ed Bensell, Mary Rooney, Billy Metcalf, Hank Johnson

Roots on the Coast and the Smith Family Network

The story begins with his mother, known variously in the records as Annie or Ellen, and his father, Ben "Smith River" Ben. His mother’s path wound deeply through the coastal communities; she was later married to a man named Smith, connecting young Billy to a sprawling family network that included his father, Ben Smith sr. (who would later take as his companion my 3rd great-grandmother after the passing of her husband, Ensalsun).

Born in California—somewhere around the Smith River or Chetco country—the boy was first known simply as Billy Chetoo (or Tchetco).

Siletz Agency allotment records showing William B. Metcalf (Allotment No. 359, Joshua-Coquille band, 80 acres) listed alongside Robert and Lucy Metcalf.

Brought North to Siletz

When Billy was a young teenager, around fourteen or fifteen years old, his life shifted northward. Around the late 1870s or early 1880s—roughly three decades before the 1912 heirship hearings—a journey was mounted to bring him and another boy named Dixie up to the Siletz Reservation.

This was no casual trip. Robert Metcalf- an enrolled member of the Joshua band who served within the agency system, along with Smith River Johnnie (could this be Lucy's uncle who was called Smith River or Black Johnnie? The name sounds very familiar) and reservation police / helpers, traveled down to Smith River to bring the boys back. With nowhere else particular to go, young Billy was taken in by Robert Metcalf and his wife, Lucy, who raised him on the reservation essentially like a son.

The Evolution of a Name and the Forest Grove Years

As he grew up under the Metcalf roof, his identity evolved with the times. When a government superintendent came seeking children to send off to school, Billy was selected to attend the federal Indian industrial training boarding school in Forest Grove, Oregon (which later relocated and became the Chemawa Indian School).

Document excerpt noting William Metcalf's attendance, his reported age around 15, and his arrival at Forest Grove in September 1884.

    

It was during and after his schooling at Forest Grove that the name William "Billy" Metcalf stuck permanently. Though he lived as part of Robert and Lucy's household, testimonies later revealed that school employees and community members understood he was not Robert’s biological child, but rather a foster son who had adopted the Metcalf surname.

The Gold Beach Departure and the Contested Will

Decades later, the drama reached its boiling point. The entire saga hinges on a domestic rift: Robert Metcalf and his wife, Lucy, had an argument. Disillusioned, Robert left the Siletz Reservation entirely and traveled south to Gold Beach at the mouth of the Rogue River.

As Robert lay on his deathbed in Gold Beach, his wife Lucy traveled down to be by his side in his final moments. Witnesses at the bedside included notable local figures, such as Ella Depoe-Selsic (the sister of Charles Depoe). Like Robert, Ella’s father was also Joshua, anchoring the deathbed scene within the familiar community bands of the southern coast.

In his final days, Robert formally executed his will, declaring:

“I give, devise and bequeath my entire estate both real and personal to my son William Metcalf.”

Executed in May 1902 just prior to his passing on July 9, 1902, this simple sentence set off a high-stakes war over land, legacy, and definitions of family.

The Aftermath: Toledo Hearings and Portland Jails

Robert Metcalf ultimately passed away and was buried down at Gold Beach. But the ink on the will had barely dried before a fierce legal war broke out over his property and allotment.

The fallout triggered an official heirship investigation, including a formal hearing held a year prior in Toledo, Oregon, where neighbors, tribal members, and relatives—like Aleck Catfish and Martha Adams—were called to the witness stand to untangle decades-old memories of who Billy Chetco really was, whether Robert's will was valid, and how Lucy fit into the estate.

And as if the family drama needed any more narrative twists, the probate files and surrounding records capture William himself caught up in the turbulence of the era—noted as spending time locked away in jail in Portland.

From a young Chetco boy brought up by reservation police to the center of a contested coastal inheritance, Billy Metcalf’s life encapsulates the complex, interwoven family histories of the Oregon coast.

Nee-Dash at Billy metcalf's House

A Note to Readers & Researchers: I am always working to ensure every detail in these ancestral timelines is as accurate as possible. While working on this post, my mom was visiting and pointed out the lady in the back right wearing the basket cap and necklaces, identifying her as Abbie Wilson—our direct ancestral grandmother to many of our Siletz families (or possibly her daughter Aurilla Selsic-Tom). 

If anyone in the community can help confirm or clarify whether this is the exact same William "Billy" Metcalf pictured in both of these historic photographs—given that there are other Metcalf family lines in the historical record—please reach out or leave a comment! Furthermore, if you recognize anyone else pictured in this photo, let's work together to identify all of these ancestors' faces. Weaving these histories together takes all of us.

(Additionally, looking closer at the record for Smith River Johnnie—who traveled down with Robert Metcalf to bring Billy north—raises the intriguing question of whether he is Lucy's uncle, or Black Johnnie, a child of K'aylish. If anyone has further documentation on these family lines, I would love to hear your thoughts!)