Title:

Autobiography and Reminiscence of George Alonzo Johnson, San Diego, 1901.

[Institutional Records Digitization Project: Reminiscences of Early Pioneers: 1900-1904]

Creator/Contributor:

Johnson, George Alonzo, 1824-1903, creator

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.

Date:

1901 (issued)

Subject:

Johnson, George Alonzo -- 1824-1903

Ives, J.C

Pioneers -- California -- Biography

Steamboats -- California -- History

California -- History -- 19th century.

California, Northern.

Fort Yuma (Ariz.) -- History

Copyright has not been assigned to The Society of California Pioneers. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Society of California Pioneers as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the reader

Autobiography & Reminiscence of George Alonzo Johnson, San Diego, 1901. The Society of California Pioneers

George A. Johnson left New York City for California on February 17, 1849, as one of the crew of the Steamer "Panama". He arrived in San Francisco June 4, 1849. Johnson began a ferrying business connecting San Francisco to Fort Yuma, via the Gulf of California and the Colorado River. He made his first trip in October 1851. He was master of the Steamer "General Jessup". His company was known as "George A. Johnson & Co." until 1869, when it was incorporated under the name of "Colorado Steam Navigation Company". The southern Pacific Railroad purchased Johnson's steamers in 1877, which is when steam-boating below Fort Yuma ended. Johnson believes he was the first to explore and navigate the Colorado River below and above Fort Yuma, a claim that met with some dispute at the time

Type:

Autobiographies.

[7] p. ; 35 x 21 cm.

English

\LowResSCANS\Volume02\ARJohnson,G01.jpg7

Origin:

California

Copyright has not been assigned to The Society of California Pioneers. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Society of California Pioneers as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the reader.

Collection:

The Society of California Pioneers collection of autobiographies and reminiscences of early pioneers