ANDREW JOHNSON

Sacramento County

Biographies

ANDREW JOHNSON

ANDREW JOHNSON.--One of the most popular and enterprising business men in Sacramento County was the late Andrew Johnson, who was born near Trondhjem, May 29, 1859. He came to America and located in Sacramento County in the fall of 1883, where he followed farming. Later on he took into partnership his brother, C. A. Johnson; and as they prospered they rented larger areas, farming a large tract of the Haggin Grant and raising grain on a large scale. Meantime, in 1899, he purchased the ranch of 800 acres near Franklin, where he made his home, continuing, however, to farm on a large scale on leased land. In 1912, they gave up farming the Haggin lands; and in 1913, with his brother, he purchased the Altucker ranch of 1,007 acres on the Cosumnes. The brothers devoted their ranches to raising grain and alfalfa and to dairying, and also to viticulture, developing an excellent and well-kept vineyard. Mr. Johnson was actively engaged in looking after his affairs until his death, which occurred in July 22, 1921.

In Sacramento, on November 19, 1906, Andrew Johnson was married to Ragnhild Sandstad, born at Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father, Dr. Thoralf Sandstad, born near Trondhjem, Norway, was a graduate veterinary surgeon from the King’s Veterinary College in Copenhagen. During his college course he was married to Matilda Larsen, a native of Copenhagen, of a prominent old Danish family, whose brother, Gen. Lauritz Peter Larsen, was a general of infantry in the Danish army. Dr. Sandstad, soon after his graduation, returned to Norway, serving as government veterinary surgeon of his home district, a position he still holds, at the same time being engaged in the general practice of his profession – a hale and hearty man at the age of seventy-two years. His wife passed on about 1908, leaving six children: Ragnhild, Mrs. Johnson; Ingeborg, who died at twenty years of age; Hakon, assisting Mrs. Johnson; Astrid, Mrs. Gundtwedt, who lives in Norway; Einar, a farmer at Hood; and Alf, also assisting his sister, Mrs. Johnson. Ragnhild Sandstad was educated in a private school. She had an uncle, Knut Sandstad, living at Lincoln, Cal., whom she came to visit, making the journey hither in 1906, and it was here she met and married Mr. Johnson.

Andrew Johnson was a very prominent man in community affairs, being a stockholder in the Mutual Telephone Company, and a member of the Grange, the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, Northern California Milk Producers’ Association, and California Grape Growers’ Exchange. He was one of the founders and a prime mover in organizing the Elk Grove Vineyard Association, and was its president and manager until his death. He was also one of the founders and a director of the Bank of Elk Grove. He was a man of good business judgment, and very progressive and liberal. A man of pleasing personality and a fine musician, being an excellent organist, pianist and violinist, he often contributed to the pleasure of his friends, who enjoyed his rendition of instrumental music. The following resolution of regret was sent to Mrs. Johnson on January 10, 1922, by E.M. Sheehan of the executive committee of the Grape Growers’ Association:

“At the annual meeting of the Grape Growers’ Association, it became my esteemed privilege and duty to express to you, in a feeble way, in behalf of all of our membership, the very sincere sorrow and very great loss brought to our organization by the passing of our fellow-member and director, Mr. Andrew Johnson.

“We knew him as a man of few words, of high and sterling character, unimpeachable integrity, loyalty to his friends, justice to those who differed, fidelity in all good causes, honest in his dealings with his business associates; in short, a man among men and a worthy and loving husband and father.

“Such men are missed when called from the association of hundreds of personal friends; and if that be granted, how much more must he be mourned by his own family and near and dear neighbors, who have known him so intimately over a period of many years.

“E.M. Sheehan.”

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson’s union was blessed with four children: Helen, Doris, Andrew, and Frances. By a former union, Mr. Johnson had six children: Albert, Carl, Anna, Frank, Susie, and Aagot.

Since Mr. Johnson’s death, Mrs. Johnson has continued to reside on the ranch, looking after the affairs left by her esteemed husband.

Transcribed by Vicky Walker, 2/27/07.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Page 415. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.