Autobiography and Reminiscence of George Alonzo Johnson, San Diego, 1901.
Institutional Records Digitization Project: Reminiscences of Early Pioneers: 1900-1904
Description:
Autobiographies and Reminiscences of California Pioneers, p.12-18, Vol. 2. This is a typed transcript, bound into a volume,
of the member's autobiographical reminiscence created as an institutional record for the Society of California Pioneers.
The transcription includes a reference to a photograph of the member in a set of bound volumes. It appears that the photographs
in this set were dispersed throughout the regular photography collection, but the photographs referenced in the related materials
may or may not be these same photographs. This reminiscence begins with a brief description of Johnson's voyage to California,
including his reaction to the news of the discovery of gold in California. The majority of reminiscence is concerned with
Johnson's portrayal of events surrounding his exploration and navigation of the Colorado River above Fort Yuma. Here he defends
his claim that he was the first to navigate that route. He blames Lieutenant Ives for attempting to take from him the credit
of being the original explorer above Fort Yuma. The years covered by this reminiscence are approximately from 1848 to 1877.