Johnson, E. C., merchant — Portland — born in the vicinity of Kastlösa near Landskrona on November 28, 1853. He went to sea at the age of 15 and sailed during the first years between harbors in Sweden, England, France and Holland. On May 18, 1872, he emigrated from Sweden via Pomerania to San Francisco, California. After staying briefly in Gilroy, California, he once again went to sea and sailed between different places along the coast. In 1873 he went to Callao, Peru, and upon his return worked for a few months in Hollister, California, after that for a longer time in Gilroy and thereafter he took a trip to Manila. Returning from Manila in the fall of 1876 he entered into business with seed grower E. J. Bowen, by whom he had already been employed at various times. In 1880 Johnson moved to Arizona and, together with half a dozen other people from San Francisco, went looking for gold and other things in the hills. After six weeks of looking, all but Johnson returned to San Francisco. He continued as a prospector etc. and after a few years came to New Mexico, where he, before anyone else, made his claims in Formosa and established a mining camp at a place which later became known as Hermosa. In 1885 Johnson sold his interests in the mining district and returned to San Francisco and the job at the Bowen store. In 1890, while managing Bowen’s store, he became a partner of the Portland Seed Company and later transferred completely to this company. Johnson is now the president of this business, which has its offices and store at Front and Yamhill streets, and its warehouse in a large building on the east side of the Willamette River. In 1893 Johnson paid a short visit to Sweden and returned on May 18, twenty-one years to the day after he first emigrated. He owns a home on 735 East Burnside St. and has recently built a stone palace on the beach at Seaside. This is absolutely outstanding both in style and construction method. He intends to move there in the near future. Johnson has a literary talent and has published an account of a trip to Mexico. He has also completed successful English interpretations of Swedish poetry. He is one of the directors of the Scandinavian-American Bank. On April 9, 1889, he married Fannie Mayer from Nevada and has two daughters and one son.
