Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 450.
 
G. W. JOHNSON
 
     Among the recent establishments of southern Oregon is the Southern Oregon
Brewing, Ice and Cold Storage Company, which was organized by the following
named gentlemen:  G. W. Johnson, Fredrick Luthmeir, William Johnson and H. U.
McCarthy.  The company began business in August, 1892, and are manufacturing
artificial ice, and do a large brewing business, which extends south into
northern California, as far as Marysville, and north into the Willamette valley.
Also furnishing the towns and hamlets of the adjacent counties with ice.
     The city of Medford was selected for this plant, in consequence of its
being the central point of the Rogue river valley, and possessing greater water
and railroad facilities.  The building has a frontage of thirty-two feet, the
depth being eighty-six feet, and the height being thirty-eight feet.  It is
operated by steam of fifty horse power, and has a daily capacity of five tons of
ice and six tons of cold storage.
     The brewery department is equipped with a kettle of fifteen barrels
capacity, and can brew that amount daily if the demand requires it.  The ice
manufactory and brewery are conducted jointly and in the same plant, and all
under the same cover.  The interior is fitted with all the modern machinery of
the latest design and pattern, both in the brewery and ice departments.  The
machinery in the ice department was manufactured and designed by G. W. Johnson,
this being the second plant in the State using the same apparatus, which for
economy, simplicity and many other desirable advantages is perhaps unexcelled.
     As a mechanical genius Mr. Johnson is certainly entitled to recognition.
The gentlemen who comprise the company are men of executive ability, progressive
and enterprising, and the community should feel highly honored with such
residents.
     G. W. Johnson, the junior member of the firm, is a native of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.  He was born April 27, 1863, and was reared and received a liberal
education in the city of his birth, and there learned the machinist trade in his
father's shop.  He is the son of William and Christina (Haas) Johnson.  The
former a native of Ohio, of Dutch parentage, and the latter was born in Germany.
They have three children.   G. W. Johnson being the second child.  He removed
with the family to Portland, Oregon in 1884.  Here the father and son
established and carried on a machine and repair shop until 1890.
     The latter has for several years made chemistry and kindred studies a
specialty, which no doubt led to the organization of the Consumer's Artificial
Ice, and Cold Storage Company of Portland.  He was the chief promoter of that
enterprise, and later developments at this point.  Although comparatively a
stranger he is one of Medford's worthy and progressive citizens, and is highly
respected in the community.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in September 2006 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.