Museum the New Llano Colony



Milton Maki

Birth: He was born around 1913 in Wisconsin.  

Family Information: Son of Mary Maki.

Brother of Willhart, Gertrude, Myrtle, Irene and George Maki.

Description:  

Pre-Colony History:  

Home in Colony: In March 1933 a group departed for the new unit at Gila, New Mexico, along with RV Shoemaker and his wife, Ann; McCullough and his wife; Beanfellow, shoemaker; Dan Taran, blacksmith; Royal Thompson, Kenfield, Charley Desiderio, Frank Plaga, farmers; John Neill, poultryman; Ludwig Mahler, butcher; and Milton Maki, machinist; with Warren Mitchell and Lee Fread as chauffeurs. The chauffeurs would not stay, but return to the colony with the truck. That was two fiddles, a guitar and a flute lost from the orchestra...  

Job in Colony: In 1932 he was working in the machine shop where he Harry Layer had their hands full of work. While working in the shop, he and another machinist, Doc Rand, had re-made, "from a perfect wreck, salvaged from something that seemed to be completely useless", an air compressor capable of running the air pressure up to 125 pounds and then automatically starting when run down to 100. They also repaired an engine, bought by Septer Baldwin for $5. It was taken to the machine shop where Milton and Doc got busy and soon a perfectly new engine was ready to go to work that couldn't have been bought for $1,000.

In 1934 Harry Layer was in charge of the machine shop, assisted by John H. Ribbing, Fred Richter, Leon Caves and Milton. At that time the shop was well-equipped with "a large lathe, air compressor, power hack saw, drill press, planer, grinding wheels, tools and all equipment... [though] the machine shop's present need [wa]s a milling machine so that gears could be made." It had done "such important work as re-conditioning engines, cranes, sawmill equipment, Diesel engine parts, laundry dryer, and so on, in almost endless number."

In 1935 was assistant to Harry Ribbing at the machine shop where they made repairs to the colony machines plus did "quite a little work" for neighbors.  

Other Info: He played center field during a game in August 1931 at Alco -- the "Llano Nine" for that game consisted of Red Richey at pitcher, Dub Killian at catcher, Leon Caves at first base, Carl Van Buskirk at second, Bill Beavers at third, "Tip" Allred at shortstop, Doc Reynolds at left field, Milton Maki at center field and Clarence Shutt in right field. The boys declared it was a rotten game.

In October 1933 he and Wilhart returned to the colony from California where they had been employed in a dairy -- Milton since March and Wilhart for the previous two and a half years.  

Post-Colony History: In June 1936 he was mentioned in one of the colony papers which reported that for the previous year and a half he'd been employed in the oil fields at Georgetown.

It went on to say that just before the report, he'd become employed by the Rust Brothers in Memphis, Tennessee. Milton had been among the colony workers who had helped them construct their first cotton-picking machine.  

Death:  

Sources: Family Source: Irene Maki Harper; "Llano Colonist": August 15, 1931, March 19, 1932, March 26, 1932, April 9, 1932, March 25, 1933, October 21, 1933, April 7, 1934, August 24, 1935, June 20, 1936; US Census: 1930  

 

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