Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. 1893. p. 849a. ARTHUR H. JOHNSON one of Portland's enterprising pioneers, came to this city on September 17, 1852. He was born in London, England, on the 7th of February, 1830. His father was a London butcher, who removed with his family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1843, where he settled on a new farm, which he improved and on which he resided until 1869, when he came to Oregon, where he died on November 28, 1871. Arthur H. Johnson was the oldest living son of eleven children. He went to school and partly learned the trade of butchering in England, and came with his father and family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1843, where he became acquainted with farming and stock-raising. He left Milwaukee on the first of March, 1852, to cross the plains to Oregon. Four men with two wagons started, who, after crossing the Missouri river, joined a company of thirty wagons. Mr. Johnson was then in his twenty-second year. He drove an ox team all the way for his board. A great many died during this year of cholera, and this company lost one person by that dread disease; the graves were numerous along the route. When near the Grande Ronde, they had an adventure with the Indians, which he relates as follows: An Indian came up with the company, and sold one of the men a horse for a buffalo robe and $5 cash. Just previous to making the trade, they had stopped for dinner, and while there, a white man, looking like a trapper, came up on a gallop and stopped where they were. They invited him to dismount and eat something with them, which he did, and the trade was made while he was there. He afterward mounted his horse, and rode off on a gallop as he had come, and they started on their journey. They had not gone far, before they were ambushed by a crowd of Indians, who rose out of the bushes in front of them, and acted in a threatening manner, their object being to take the horse from the, as if they had stolen him. Just at that moment, when they were deciding to fight, and expected to be overpowered by the Indians, the man on the horse again galloped up at full speed, and seeing what was going on, and the angry attitude of the Indians, said a few words to them, and they cowered down at once, leaving them to proceed on their journey. The question in Mr. Johnson's mind has always been, How came the white man there at that opportune time? When he came to the Dalles, he left his team, and walked alone to the cascades. The last two days of his journey, he was without food, and when he arrived, he was empty handed. he secured employment immediately, and then had his supper. The next day he was asked what he would want for wages, and he replied, that he would take for a month, whatever they would give, and they paid him $60; at the end of the month, they raised his wages to $150 a month. He then engaged in small speculations, and made some money, and purchased a half interest in the business. R. S. Perkins was at work in the same shop, who soon bought the other half, and they were partners for ten years, when they both sold out. Mr. Johnson afterward bought the whole business back, which he has continued ever since, and which has grown to be one of the largest wholesale and retail stores in the city. Mr. Johnson has invested considerably in city property, and has built several brick stories, besides which, he owns 3,500 acres in Washington and Yam Hill counties, on which he is breeding blooded stock, Durhams and Herefords. He was married on August 24, 1853, to Miss Cordelia St. Clair. They have had fourteen children, of whom ten are living, all born in Portland. Two of his sons are on his farm. The married daughters reside in Portland; and one of the sons is in eastern Oregon, on a cattle ranch. Mr. Johnson has platted an addition of twenty acres to the city of Portland, and has named the streets, and built a handsome residence on the property between St. Clair and Fort streets, where he resides in the society of his family. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and in politics is a Republican. His career is an inspiration to the needy young man of today, as showing what can be accomplished by a person, who directs his attention steadily to business and exerts all his energies. Mr. Johnson owes much of his prosperity to his unwavering integrity, and uniformly courteous manner, which attracted and held the public confidence, and by means of which he has acquired wealth and that which is more valuable, the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the affectionate regard of numerous friends. ******************* 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.