Santa
Clara County
Biographies
WILLIAM
HENRY JOHNSON
WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSON. Distinctively characteristic of Santa Clara county is the high reputation of its professional men,
conspicuous among whom appears the name of William Henry Johnson, one of the
leading citizens and most prominent attorneys in the state of California. Thoroughly conversant with every branch of
his profession, he has brought to its practice a natural ability and unusual
tact which have resulted in a success that places his name among those of the brightest
and ablest lawyers of San Jose, and gives to him a position of influence among
the representative men of the city. No
little personal credit is also due Mr. Johnson for his study and mastery
of his profession, for in young manhood he found himself started upon an
entirely different career; by perusal of the early history of the state when
his father, as a lawyer, participated in the stirring events which laid the
foundation for California’s statehood, he was induced to take up the study of
law, which he could only do through his own efforts, working his way through
college and graduating with honors despite all the difficulties which presented
themselves.
A native son of the state, William Henry
Johnson was born in Placerville, Eldorado county, July 12,
1869, next to the youngest in a family of nine children, of whom five sons and
two daughters are now living. His
father, John Calhoun Johnson, was born in Deersville,
Ohio, the representative of an old Virginia family, Albert Sidney Johnston, of
southern fame, being his cousin. After
coming to California Mr. Johnson dropped the letter “t” from his
name. An ambitious man, and one of
unusual ability, Mr. Johnson studied the classics and law at Ann Arbor,
from which institution he was graduated with honors. Deciding to cast in his lot with that of the
early pioneers of the state of California, he crossed the plains with ox-teams
in the spring of 1849, being the first of his profession to arrive in the
state. His first employment in the west
was in the government service, carrying the mail on snow shoes form Placerville
to Nevada City, during which time he gave the name of Lake Bigler
(now called Lake Tahoe) to one of the most beautiful lakes in California. He also engaged in the practice of his profession
in the days of the vigilantes, acting as judge among the miners. He found employment for a time in mining
until business opened up, when he engaged in practice in Eldorado, Amador,
Nevada, Sacramento and various other of the counties in that section of the
country, following up the district courts.
He was a profound student and had thoroughly mastered his subject. In 1876, with the pioneer instinct still his
dominant trait, he went to Arizona to assist in the upbuilding of that
country. He took up land near Prescott,
and while working about the ranch one day was killed by the Apache
Indians. His eldest son, George P.,
on returning from Tucson, found his body in a ravine, where it is now buried. In early California history no man could have
given more unselfish efforts toward the material welfare of the country and no
man was more thoroughly appreciated. As
a Democrat in politics, he always gave his best efforts toward the advancement
of the principles he endorsed, and in the interests of the party as well as the
general community, he served as an efficient member of the sixth state
legislature. Fraternally he was a Mason
of high degree and occupied a prominent position among the councils of this
organization. His wife was formerly
Emily Hagerdon, a native of Green Bay, Wis., and
daughter of Captain Hagerdon, a sailor on the
lakes. He brought the first schooner
that ever came to California around Cape Horn and while west spent some time
coasting along the Pacific states. He
died in Wisconsin. Mrs. Johnson
survived her husband and afterward became the wife of J. Jacobs and now
makes her home at No. 120 Coe avenue, San Jose. She was also connected with a prominent
family of the east, being a second cousin of Commodore Perry, of Lake Erie
fame, during the war of 1812.
Reared to manhood in his native state,
Mr. Johnson received his education principally in the schools of San Jose,
to which city he removed when he was twelve years old. In youth he was very much interested in race
horses and became a jockey, riding on all the principal tracks of the
state. On deciding to take up a more
settled occupation he followed the barber’s trade, during which time he read
the history of the early days of California, written up and left him by his
father; and so interested did he become that he determined to take up the study
of law. His last years in an educational
pursuit had embodied a course at the Placerville Academy, thus laying a good
foundation upon which to build his future work.
He read law for five years, after which he entered the Kent School of
Law in San Francisco, working his own way from the time of entrance to his
graduation in January, 1897, with the degree of LL.B. Entering the office of the late Judge D. W.
Herrington he practiced with him for two years, after which he opened an office
on his own responsibility and established a practice which has since grown to
remunerative proportions. He is a
noticeably successful lawyer in probate and will cases and also has a
successful criminal practice. Upon his
entrance to a general practice of the law he was also admitted to the United
States district court.
In San Jose Mr. Johnson was united in
marriage with Belle Ziegler, a native of San Jose and the daughter of William
Ziegler, a prominent old settler of this community, and now a retired shoe
merchant. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
were born two children, namely: Albert
Sidney and Pearl Adel. In his fraternal
relations Mr. Johnson is a member of the Foresters of America, Fraternal
Brotherhood and the Turn Verein. Politically he is a stanch[sic]
Democrat and is always active in the counsels of his party, which he
represented at one time as delegate to the state convention. He is also an influential member of the
County Bar Association. Mr. Johnson’s
place of business is at No. 46-7 Ryland building, while he makes his
home at the corner of Delmos avenue and Williams
street.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 398-399. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Donna Toole.