San Diego County Biographies
 
JOHN DEWEY 

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Is one of Elsinore's straight-forward business men and pioneers. He  was born in 
New York State, August 19, 1845. His father, Levi Dewey, and his mother Jenette 
(Johnson) Dewey, and grandfather, George Johnson, all had their nativity in the 
State of New York. Mr. Dewey's maternal grandfather was a distiller of New York, 
and lived to be ninety-one years of age. He left a large estate; he bequeathed 
to each of his great-grandchildren $1,000, and to his grandchildren $2,000 each, 
and the balance of his large property was divided among his sons and daughters. 
Mr. Dewey was the youngest of six children. It was his misfortune to lose his 
mother by death when he was only two years of age. For a time he was cared for 
by his grandmother, but when his father remarried he made his home with him. He 
attended school in his native State and helped his father on the farm, and after 
he became of age he farmed on his own account for six years.
        In 1867 he was married to Miss Celia Starkey, a daughter of George 
Starkey of New York. By this union he had one daughter, Berdella, born in 
Delaware, who is now the wife of Mr. Carl Merryfield, and resides in Los 
Angeles. Mrs. Dewey died in 1873, six years after their marriage, and Mr. Dewey 
was bereft of the wife of his choice, and the little daughter, Berdella, was 
left without a most affectionate mother. This change in his hopes and prospects 
was hard to bear. He broke up housekeeping and went to Leadville during the 
great mining excitement, and for two years devoted himself to making money. Hard 
work and exposure impaired his health to such an extent that he had to desist. 
During his stay at Leadville he was enabled to send money to take good care f 
his daughter. He at last decided to come to California, and he settled at 
Pasadena. Rest and the change of climate restored his health considerably, and 
he obtained a situation at $50 per month and board, which position he held for 
four years. While in Pasadena he bought and dealt in property, and was very 
successful in his venture. About this time Mr. Heald discovered Elsinore, and 
started the town by the beautiful lake, and excitement ran high. Mr. Dewey, with 
others, came to the new town site of Elsinore, and invested in 200 acres of 
land, all of which, except six acres, he sold at a great advance over cost. He 
then turned his attention to town lots and house building, and built seven good 
dwelling houses, for which he received rents at the rate of $90 per month. This 
continued for about a year and a half. He has the credit of building the first 
house that was painted in the town, thus taking the lead in the construction of 
the many tasty and attractive places that now adorn the place. He came when 
there was but one small house, and in the space of five short years (one of them 
without the help of the railroad) he has seen hundreds of pleasant homes 
constructed, dotting the valley in every direction. Mr. Dewey's political views 
are Republican, and his religious opinions favor the Universalists' creed. He 
has been conservative in his business transactions, buying only what he could 
pay for, and while he has not made as much money as some he has kept his 
business well in hand, and is able to smile at adversity. His neighbors speak 
well of him, and call him a one-hundred-cents-on-the-dollar man.
 
SOURCE:  An Illustrated History of Southern California:  Embracing the Counties 
of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower 
California… Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890.  p.-  129-130