San Diego County
Biographies
DR. CHARLES M. JOHNSON,
of El Cajon valley, was born in Jefferson County New York, his parents being Stephen and Mary (Pierce) Johnson; the former was a native of Connecticut, and was engaged the larger part of his life in the mercantile business in Jefferson County, New York, and had, in connection with his other business, large lumbering interests. He died at the age of seventy-five years, in 1860. He and his wife were second cousins and descendants of the Pierces and Paynes, who were the founders of the Madison University, New York.. They had eleven children, six girls and five boys, one of whom died in infancy. C. M. Johnson, the youngest of the family, was educated in New York and is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. From college he went into the army as associate surgeon in the Ninety‑ninth New York Volunteers. In 1865 he practiced one year in Watertown, then six years at Camp Vincent, New York, then returned to Watertown, where he remained until 1885. During his residence there he was United States Pension Surgeon thirteen years. He was one of the founders of the New York Medical Association, and was sent in 1884 to see a patient in California, remaining three months. The following year he came over to look into the El Cajon and invested there, buying an undivided fourth interest in the Bliss tract, consisting of nearly 2,400 acres. In the spring of 1886 they broke up and planted 500 acres of Muscat vines and the following year 300 acres more, making 800 in all. It is claimed to be the largest raisin vineyard in California or in the world. It is situated on the west side of El Cajon valley, and has several wide avenues through it bordered with cypress, Grevillea and Eucalyptus trees. They have built a packing house and several ranch houses, and have a town site of 150 acres. The principal depot is on it, and several residences. They have upon the mesa 800 or 1,000 acres in ten-acre tracts, considered to be the choicest orange land in the valley. There is also 300 acres of hillside land, partly adapted to olive culture. And they have 150 acres of granite land, containing large quantities of granite rock, suitable for monumental and building purposes; it takes a high polish, and as it is near the railroad tract, will make a valuable industry. The average number of horses used on the ranch is forty. There are about twenty-five men steadily employed, and during the picking season, about two months, there are as high as 200. The railroad runs through three miles of the ranch, and in addition to the town depot they have a mesa station. The principal owners are Dr. Charles Johnson, who is president of the company, and M. S. Marshall, who is superintendent and secretary; each of these has selected a home site of about sixty acres, and Mr. Marshall has built an elegant house and improved the grounds. Dr. Johnson has not yet built, but has reserved a most delightful site for his residence. He is still practicing his profession in San Diego, and is a member of the County and State Medical Associations. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for twenty-five years, and he and his wife are both members of the Baptist Church of San Diego. The Doctor was married in 1867 to Miss Helen Davis, a native of Adams, Watertown County, New York, born December 30, 1841. They have one daughter now living, born August 12, 1879. They have lost two children. The Doctor is still in life's prime, and has a most promising future.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 318-319
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
THOMAS HENRY BUSH.
One of the most prominent of the San Diego pioneers is Judge Bush, who earned his title by honest service upon the bench. His father, Henry Bush, emigrated to America from London, England, where he had been engaged in the mercantile pursuits. He settled at Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where he lived until the time of his death, which occurred in 1836, in his fortieth year. His wife, Margaret Crowe Bush, was born in county Monaghan, Ireland, in the year 1793, and died at the age of ninety years. This union was blessed with six children, but three of whom survive: Eliza, who married Jacob Fellnagle, and lives in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, has one child; Thomas Henry and Margaret Jane were born June 8, 1831. She lives in Pottsville, and is unmarried. On his father's death the family moved to New York city, where Thomas learned the bookbinder's trade, in the meantime having received a common-school education. He worked for George F. Coolidge & Bro., on Pearl Street, next to Harpers', until he was twenty-one years of age. The gold excitement in California decided him to go to that State. Accordingly he left New York city, January 5, 1853, on the steamer Empire, and came via Colon and Panama with a party of five, consisting of Alexander Buswell, a bookbinder, who died in San Francisco, February, 1889; Addison Wilson, a tailor, who went East in 1885; Peter Finnegan, a livery-man in San Francisco County; Richard Parr, of Albany, New York, who returned home and died there about 1885, and Samuel Eastman, whose whereabouts are unknown to Judge Bush. The fare from New York to San Francisco was $125, but they bought tickets to Panama for $35, hoping to take the opposition steamer from Panama to San Francisco, but on arriving at Panama they were disappointed to find the opposition withdrawn. They were compelled to wait three weeks in Panama, where a fever was raging, which killed about 1,000 persons. They purchased tickets from Panama to San Francisco for $50. They left Panama February, 1853, and arrived in San Francisco on the steam propeller Columbus, March 1 of the same year. Here Judge Bush first worked for a man named Perkins, putting on a patent fire-proof roof at $5 per day. He then went to the Campo Seco mines, where he remained for about two months, when he returned to San Francisco. He again went to the mines, being successively at Minnesota Flats, Downieville, Chipp's Diggings, Forest City and Smith's Diggings. After three years spent at the mines he returned to San Francisco and worked at his trade. March 4, 1858, he was married to Ellen Augusta Porter, daughter of Rufus Porter, who was for thirty years in the patent office at Washington. Captain Rufus K. Porter, of Cholla Valley, is her brother. The family were from Massachusetts originally. After his marriage, Judge Bush went to Sausal, Lower California, to run a store at the San Antonio copper mine, but not liking frontier life he with his wife returned to San Francisco. From 1859 to 1865 he worked at his trade in San Francisco, at the end of which time he removed to San Diego, where he has since resided. He first lived on the ranch of R. K. Porter, his brother-in-law, and then removed to Old Town, where he started a general merchandise store. Here he was appointed Postmaster. In 1866 he was appointed County Judge, by Governor F. F. Lowe, to fill the unexpired term of Julio Osuna, which office he held for eight years, being twice elected. He has also held the offices of school and city trustee. He was in the latter office at the time of the Horton purchase. From 1878 to 1883 he spent the most of his time prospecting at Florence and Dripping Springs. In 1883 he returned to Pottsville, where he remained three years, and returned to San Diego October, 1887. He has one child, Bertha, who was born in San Francisco County, in 1863. Judge Bush is now a Notary Public, deals in real estate, and is secretary of the Society of San Diego Pioneers.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 319-320
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler