California Biographies, San Joaquin Valley

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

Source:
History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin 
Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from 
its earliest settlement to the present time.
Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M.
The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905
Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176


FREDERICK V. DEWEY, editor and proprietor of the Daily Journal of Hanford, inherits his 
journalistic ability from his father, Edward M. Dewey. The latter was for several years engaged 
in publishing newspapers in Massachusetts, but when his son was a lad of four years, left his 
home in Massachusetts and settled in Dowriieville, CaL, as publisher of a newspaper. Three 
years later he went to San Francisco, where he engaged in the real estate business. In 1870 he 
went to Visalia, Tulare county, in the latter place owning and managing the Visalia Delta.

While living in Visalia, Frederick V. Dewey attended the public schools there, which furnished 
him with an excellent educational basis, upon which he later builded by attendance at the 
Visalia Normal School and Heald's Business College at San Francisco. To attempt to state 
definitely when Mr. Dewey first displayed a predilection for newspaper work would be well-
nigh impossible, as his associations and surroundings throughout early life when not in school 
were type and printer's ink. His adaptability for the work was such that when only seventeen 
years old he was enabled to take a man's position on a newspaper as compositor, and a few 
years later went to San Francisco, where he held cases on the California Magazine, the Bulletin 
and the Call. Thereafter his time was divided between San Francisco and Visalia for several 
years, or until he became foreman of the Visalia Delta, In the meantime, in 1882, he came to 
Hanford and conducted the Mussel Slough branch of the Visalia Delta, having charge of the 
same for about eight months, 

After serving as foreman of the Visalia Delta for several years he was for a short time an 
employe of the state printing office, going from there to Traver, Tulare county, where, as editor 
and proprietor of the Traver Advocate, he wielded a trenchant pen for about six years. Upon 
disposing of the latter paper in 1891 Mr. Dewey came once more to Hanford, and the same 
year established the Weekly Journal, its first issue appearing April 14, 1891. Such was the 
success of the paper that five years later Mr. Dewey was warranted in making it a semi-weekly 
journal, the first issue of this paper appearing March 21, 1896. Still greater success was in store 
for Mr. Dewey, for May 1, 1898, he was enabled to give to the reading public the first issue of 
the Daily Journal, continuing also the publication of the Semi-Weekly Journal, which papers 
have constantly grown in circulation and popularity until they rank among the leading 
Democratic newspapers of the interior of the state. 

Mr. Dewey is an easterner by birth, having been born in Massachusetts November 14, 1860. His 
marriage in 1881 united him with Martha E. McBee, a native of Visalia, Cal., and they became 
the parents of four children, one of whom, Walter, died in infancy ; Harry McBee died when in 
his fourteenth year; Irene W. is the wife of Robert McCourt, a merchant of Hanford ; and 
Frederick V., Jr., is a student in the Hanford high school. Mr. Dewey is a Democrat in political 
sentiment, and a stanch defender of party principles. Fraternally he belongs to the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Maccabees.