John Howard and Dena Dodson of Kalamity Ranch  1898 – 1962

One of the earliest written recollections of Crest stored in the historical archives comes from John Howard Dodson who homesteaded the Kalamity Ranch in 1898. The property was located about a mile up the La Cresta Grade near Old Bend Road.

John Howard Dodson was born in Iowa Falls, Iowa on March 13, 1876 and moved to San Diego from Dallas, Texas in 1893 at the age of 24.

 When John was in his early 20s his mother and father died from the flu. John was given only six months to live after being diagnosed by a Texas doctor with “galloping consumption” (TB).  He moved to San Diego because he wanted to be near his brothers.  While he was trained as a lawyer, he could not work since he was so ill.

Dodson shared his story. “I wasn’t able to do anything in law when I came here from Texas. I didn’t like it down near the coast, near the water, and wasn’t able to work. I got a horse and buggy and came up into the hills to camp out. I thought it would suit me better. My brother, A.E., brought me out to this place where I am living now. He thought I could get this land very cheap and it would probably suit me. I came out here with him; it was a hot day and I looked around. There wasn’t a tree on the place and I said ‘The abomination of desolation! If I had my choice between living here and in the pen, I’d go to the pen.’

“So we didn’t buy this place and went back. Later I got a horse and buggy and started out camping. There was then a wet weather spring down here. I camped near that (the property) simply because there was water there and just poked around here. Sat down and did nothing. I couldn’t work. After a few days I made a brush house and lived in that. Me and the pack rats got along very nicely. They carried off everything loose that I had so I had a big box to keep everything in. After I had been there for a week or ten days, I noticed I was feeling better and I kept feeling better. As I began to feel better, why, this place became more attractive to me, with the result that I finally gave the man who claimed the place 40 dollars for his claim. I could have jumped it because he wasn’t living on it and was living in San Diego. I bought his interest, filed on the place, and it’s been my home really, ever since.

“But after being here for a little while, I figured that someday San Diego, which at that time claimed about 16,000 inhabitants, would make a city. I figured that the hills back here would be worth money if they had trees on them. So I began planting trees, experimentally at first, eventually more. As I grew healthier, I was able to work more. I would, perhaps, plant three or four trees a day. I tried a great many varieties; nobody gave me encouragement. They said there was no use planting them; they wouldn’t grow. I planted a few eucalyptuses, but I didn’t like the looks of eucalyptus. Didn’t plant so many. I planted a good many of trees, tested them out and then the ones that could seem to stand it, the drought and so on, I planted more of.

“In 1895, my brother told me that a friend of his suggested that I apply for the post office in El Cajon. To my surprise, although my application left El Cajon about the first of March, I was appointed Postmaster about the sixth of March; almost instantaneously. I was appointed and served; that was under Cleveland’s administration, for about six years until 1901 when I resigned.”

 John Dodson also was Justice of the Peace in El Cajon Valley and operated a nursery at his Kalamity Ranch below La Cresta. John rented space in the El Cajon Pharmacy owned by Dr. A.L. Derbyshire. Later the pharmacy was bought by Albert Brower. This is where John met Albert’s sister, Dena Brower. They married December 30, 1906, and moved to Kalamity Ranch. John once again was appointed Postmaster in El Cajon in 1914 and completed a career of 32 years. The Post Office was located on Main Street near Magnolia.

John and Dena had six children. Excerpts from a letter written by Mrs. Dodson described the ranch as remote, yet their dream property. Dena wrote, “What we long to do is have a cozy little home here where we can invite others. Especially those who are lonesome and unhappy and give them a good time and show what a home where Christ dwells is like. We both have the greatest desire to help others.”

 John’s challenges with the nursery were many including fire, frost and hail. His daughter, Dot, shared a few early memories of growing up in the area. “I was born in Crest in 1909. I was born on almost the same spot where the house stands in the Crest canyon. Growing up here, I remember Crest as two deserted ranches. We walked three miles to school located at the corner of Third and Broadway near Bostonia. I remember it was very dry. My father raised goats, chickens, vegetables, and fruit trees. The goats provided milk. The goats ate the brush so that the chances of a fire were very slim. He became a prolific propagator of the trees.” 

Mr. Dodson’s daughter, Kathryn (Dodson) Benson added a few more interesting facts regarding her family. She noted that their property is now the location of the Hidden Fox Farm horse ranch.  She shared that while her dad was operating a thriving plant nursery on his homestead, a survey team came through as part of some government project.  They were naming the various hills and canyons of the county.  It was at that time that they named the canyon “Forester Creek Canyon” memorializing the reforesting her father was doing along the canyon hillsides.  She also noted that after her younger sister, Olive, was born, they decided it would be best to move the family into town where the baby would be closer to a doctor’s care since she was sickly.

John Howard Dodson died in February 1962 in his house on his original homestead.