Johnson, Charles Erik,
businessman, baker — Portland — born in Stockholm, May 18, 1863. Traveled to New
York in 1880 where he, after having worked in a grocery store for 3½ years, ran
his own store for 1½ year. Returned to Sweden in 1886, but came back to America
within a year. Resided initially in Gothenburg, Nebraska, before he opened a
grocery store in S. Omaha and met with great success. Moved to San Francisco,
California, in 1890 and worked as a manager for seven years in the large Chicago
Store. In 1897 he went into the bakery business both as a partner with Lander,
and later with Kofod, as well as on his own. After the fire in 1906 Johnson
moved to Portland and started a bakery business et cetera on 489 Union St. In
addition to that he is a fire insurance agent, part owner of a bank and the
Swedish newspaper, and the West Coast Shipping Co., whose secretary he has been.
Johnson is a great friend of the theater and has written the plays “En bondgård
i Skåne” [“A Farm in Skåne”], “Kroppkakskalaset på Öland” [“The Potato Dumpling
Feast on Öland”], and “Peder Pederson,” the last of which was written in
English. He has appeared on stage several times in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,”
“Charlie’s Aunt,” and several other plays. Johnson owns property in St. Johns,
and is a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Redmen, Scandia, Swedish
Society Linnea, and the National Association. He was one of the founding members
of the association Knights of the Golden Banner in San Francisco. In 1895 he
married Matilda Eskilson from Helsingborg and they have had a son who is now
dead.