My Genealogy Hound

DEWEY, LORENZO DOW, miller; residence, Camp Point; is the son of Russel and Elizabeth (Meeks) Dewey. His father was a native of New York. His mother, of Lancaster county, Pa. They were married in Lancaster county, Ohio. Lorenzo Dow was born in Chautauqua county, N. Y., on the 13th of August, 1827; Russell Dewey was a miller by trade, and a clergyman in the M. E. church. He was an intimate friend of the celebrated itinerant preacher Lorenzo Dow, for whom the subject of this sketch was named. Rev. Dow appreciated the honor, and presented his namesake with five sheep, which he, Mr. Dow, put in the hands of a farmer, to be kept by him for the benefit of young Dewey, the number to be doubled every three years. The farmer becoming tired of the contract, the sheep were turned over to Dewey, Sr., who had charge of his son’s flock until he attained the age of nineteen years, when they completed an arrangement by which the father paid the son $350 in cash, and gave two years of his time for his interest in the sheep, and young Dewey came west, to Ohio, where he remained two years. From there he removed to Adams county, Ill., in 1848, under an engagement to complete and take charge of the Fletcher Mill, then partly built, on Bear Creek, in Honey Creek township. He ran this mill for fifteen years, a portion of the time was sole owner. He removed from there to the city of Quincy, where he lived two years, dealing in grain. He then purchased a farm in Mendon, and removing thence conducted that business for years. He came from the farm to take charge of the Casco Mills in Camp Point, a position he still holds. He was married, Feb. 28, 1847, to Amanda Fletcher, who was born in Clermont county, Ohio, April 14, 1827. The union has resulted in six children, four living: William F., Alvin A., Jessie Bell, and Arthur Elmer. Mr. Dewey is a Master Mason in the Order, and is vice-President in the Blue Ribbon Club of Camp Point; was at one time Collector. He owns 120 acres of land, highly improved, in Columbus township; 141acres in Honey Creek township, worth $50 per acre, and a fine house and four lots, which cost over $5,000 in the village of Camp Point; was Collector one term in Honey Creek township.