Dean Jewett Locke - Life

Life

Dean Jewett Locke was born in New Hampshire in 1823. As soon as he had graduated from school, he made a trip to the Golden State in search of gold, traveling with the Boston-Newton Joint Stock Company as their physician. Realizing that it was more prosperous to own land, he and his brothers, George and Elmer, built a small ranch along the Mokelumne River in the San Joaquin Valley in 1851. He later returned to the East to visit family in 1854, and it was there he met Delia Hammond. They married in 1855 and Dr. Dean and his new wife packed off to the ranch along with D.J. Locke’s father, Luther Locke, who would later become the first postmaster of Lockeford. The Locke ranch became a starting point for the town Lockeford. The home that Dr. Dean had been living in previously was rebuilt into a small frame house for his wife, which would later be known as the Locke House. He was a generous contributor to the community and the town of Lockeford. He constantly strove to make Lockeford a beacon of trade and prosperity in the West. Locke gave land for the sites of three churches and a school. Later on, additional property was signed off for the construction of a railroad depot, which he hoped would bring in trade and settlers, as well as making Lockeford a stopping point for two other railroads that were nearby, the San Joaquin Railroad and the Sierra-Nevada Railroad. Along with donations of land, D.J. Locke was very generous with his monetary wealth as well. He purchased railroad cars and the constant competition with other nearby towns, such as Woodbridge and Lodi, drove him to purchase a steam boat in an attempt to make Lockeford an inland port. At the end of his days, Dr. Dean Jewett Locke on, 64, was not only a physician and a rancher, he was also a store owner, a bridge operator, and the owner of a steam ship, until his ship, the Pert, ran aground. Dr. Dean Jewett Locke remained a generous contributor to the community of Lockeford until his death on May 4, 1887.