"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 362.
 
CHARLES W. JOHNSON

     Pre-eminent among the successful farmers of Whitman county is he whose life
record it is now our task to outline in brief, but Mr. Johnson is not alone
extensively interested in real estate, but is also prominently identified with
the banking interests of the county, being a stock holder in two of the leading
institutions of that character, the Second National bank of Colfax and the First
National bank of Pullman. His excellent business ability, careful, judicious
management, progressiveness, well tempered with an enlightened conservatism, and
great energy have enabled him to work out an abundant financial success, and he
is now numbered among the wealthiest of Whitman county's citizens.
     Mr. Johnson was born in Ray county, Missouri, on October 19, 1852. He began
the pursuit of knowledge there, but his school training was interrupted
temporarily in 1866, when he accompanied his parents on a long and dangerous
journey across plain and mountain to the western coast. The family located in
Douglas county, Oregon, and there our subject completed his education, remaining
under parental guidance until he became twenty years old. In 1872, however, he
came to Whitman county, located eleven miles southwest of Colfax, where we now
find him, took a homestead and began to work out the splendid success which now
crowns his career. At the present time, he is the owner of twenty-five hundred
acres in this county, and is extensively engaged in farming and rearing cattle.
A fine home, excellent equipment, cattle and horses in abundance with the
princely domain and the bank stock above referred to constitute some part of the
reward Mr. Johnson has reaped for his abundant and well-directed labors.
     Both of our subject's parents are now dead, the remains of his mother being
laid to rest in Oregon and of his father near his place. During the Indian scare
of 1877, he was engaged in taking care of his father on the home place, who was
then taken quite sick.
 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in July 2009 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.