Kewen Hilliard Dorsey (1857 - 1933) was a member of one of Southern California's first pioneer families. Born in El Monte, Dorsey became a resident of Spadra, a small town that was eventually absorbed by surrounding cities. He moved to Los Angeles in 1878, before making his residence in Fontana towards the end of his life. He was the son of Mexican War veteran Hilliard P. Dorsey and Civility Rubottom. He was also the grandson of William Wiley "Uncle Billy" Rubottom, an infamous settler of the Pomona Valley known for his violent streak. Rubottom had gone west from Arkansas after killing two men, and was responsible for the shooting death of his son-in-law, Dorsey's father. Kewen’s mother had fled her husband and sought refuge at her father’s home. When Hilliard arrived to claim her, Rubottom killed him with a shotgun. As both men had reputations for dueling and fighting, the townsfolk accepted that there was no fault in the death and Rubottom did not face consequences for Hilliard’s murder. Despite these events, Kewen was loyal to and cared for his grandfather until the old man’s death.

Later in life, Kewen Dorsey was repeatedly honored as one of the oldest residents of the area. In 1930 governor of California James Rolph gave Dorsey a silver cup award in honor of his status as the area’s oldest “native son.” Hilliard Dorsey had started the first Los Angeles Masonic lodge in 1852, and Kewen followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming an active member of the Masons, including holding various leadership positions. In 1932 Dorsey was awarded a silver trowel recognizing him as the oldest mason in the San Bernardino Valley. Dorsey kept extensive diaries throughout his life, and donated them to The Claremont Colleges Library in the year prior to his death. Dorsey passed away in Fontana on July 12, 1933.

Sources:

Brackett, Frank Parkhurst, and Historic Record Company, Los Angeles. 1920. History of Pomona Valley, California: With Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men and Women of the Valley Who Have Been Identified with Its Growth and Development from the Early Days to the Present. Los Angeles, Cal: Historic Record Company.

DORSEY RITES SET FOR TODAY. 1933. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File), Jul 13, 1933. http://ccl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/docview/163104501?accountid=10141 (accessed March 9, 2018).