Gilbert, Frank T. "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon." Portland, OR: Print & Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. p. a13. JAMES M. DEWAR is a native of Scotland, having been born on the 12th of February, 1824, in the county Perth near the ancient castle of Doune, mentioned in Scott's "Lady of the Lake." His parents were farmers on the northern slope of the Grampian Hills, from, where a mile and a half beneath, wound the beautiful river Teith, fed by the pure waters of Lakes Catherine and Vennacher, where Fitz James, the Scottish king, first met his Lady of the Lake. Cradled among the scenes of Scottish legend, and the place, where the great High-land poet wove his dreams into verse, it would be strange if no spark of the peculiar surroundings were worked into the nature of this lad of the British Isles. A strong desire with the boy to look beyond the scenes of his native hills, grew with the years, and forced the man from the home roof, in 1853, to cross the ocean to America. For six years he traveled through the northern portion of the United States, until, in 1858, he found himself on the Pacific Coast. He met, at Champoeg on the Willamette river, a relative, Archibald McKinlay, known to all the pioneers of the Northwest as the fearless leader of trapping expeditions of the Hudson's Bay Co. McKinlay advised his young relative to seek the Walla Walla Valley as a point that, in the near future, would present more advantages to prosperity than any other locality within his knowledge; and there was no place in the Northwest that had not been visited by the old mountaineer. "But, " said he, "you must for a time run the risk of losing your scalp." Mr. Dewar remarked that the hairless upper story of his cranium would present little inducement for an Indian, and he would risk the loss. Accordingly, the fourth of January, 1859, saw him in the valley that has since been his home. He found a log cabin on the Cottonwood creek, in a grove of small timber by that stream, to which he took a fancy, and he purchased it with the land claim from the owner for $50. That place has since been his home; the log cabin has, like the primitive surroundings, passed away, and in its place now appear the evidences of a more advanced civilization, of a prosperity that had been foreshadowed. A view of the place as it now is, accompanies this work. The farm consists of 320 acres, to which have been added 174 acres in the immediate vicinity. All of it is under cultivation and is inclosed, the oldest orchard in the country, except one, being upon his farm. In the first years of his occupancy he did not anticipate making it his future home. Is was only with a view of making money by grazing upon the grasses of the open country large droves of cattle, horses, etc., for the coast market. This was his first business, but with the influx of population and the continued residence, he came to like it ; and, as the lands became inclosed into farms, he sold off his surplus stock and commenced the tillage of the soil. January 27, 1864, ha was married to Margaret McRae in Walla Walla, W. T. They have three children living, named, Alexander, aged 17 ; James, aged 13; and Elida, aged 19 months. Three of their children have died, namely ; John, Elizabeth, and David, the two last of diptheria, both on the same day. In 1878 he was elected, by the Republican party to the Territorial Legislature, and served in that body during the session of 1879. In politics he has always been a Republican, but never an active politician. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and one of the men that it is fortunate for any country to have as a citizen. * * * * Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in February 2007 by Diana Smith. Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.