Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 262.

CAPTAIN PHILIP JOHNSON

     Was the first authorized pilot of the Columbia river, and was born in
Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1820, and was of the fifth generation born in the
old homestead, which is owned by the family descendants.  His father, James
Johnson, was a distinguished figure in the war of 1812; he married Miss
Charlotte Adams, of revolutionary fame.  Losing his father in childhood, at the
age of twelve years, young Philip struck out in life, first as assistant in
mackerel fishing, and later upon the bark “Autumn,” the first vessel to make a
whaling cruise to the Artic seas.

     He then followed the sea in vessels, trading with the West Indies and
European ports.  At the age of twenty years he had arisen to the position of
mate.  During the Mexican war, we find him upon the war ship “North Carolina,”
commanded by Captain Winslow, later of the “Kearsarge.”  Returning to Boston in
1848 the brig “Forest” was fitting for San Francisco, and Mr. Johnson engaged
for the voyage as mate, carrying out a general cargo for trading.  Daly arriving
off Monterey they met the Missionary boat, a topsail schooner called “Honolulu,”
and from them learned of the discovery of gold in California.  Continuing their
voyage they entered the harbor at San Francisco in the spring of 1849, the city
then being composed of a few adobe houses on Portsmouth square.

     Our subject falling in with Mr. Sutter, and little anticipating the future
of that city, they him a little scow for $2,500, taking pay in pinches of gold
dust, the scow having cost about twenty-five dollars in the East.  The sale
proved to their disadvantage, as later in discharging their cargo, they needed
the service of this boat, and in return Sutter charged them $200 per day.  They
subsequently erected upon Clarke’s Point the frame house which they brought out
for drying of hides and therein stored their cargo, and our subject then took
the crew and went to the mines, but he soon returned to San Francisco, and his
vessel, which was subsequently sold to a company from Oregon, composed of
Governor Abernethy, Robert Priest and Mr. Lee, of Oregon City, and they hired
Captain Johnson to sail the brig, paying him $500 per month.

     They came to Oregon in ballast and entered the Columbia river without a
pilot, Astoria then being composed of the old log house occupied by the Hudson
Bay Company.  In ascending the river, sounding were taken as they progressed and
about twenty days were expended in reaching Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they lay
about three months, awaiting a cargo of lumber and potatoes, which were taken to
San Francisco and sold a $350 per thousand feet and potatoes at fifty dollars
per barrel.

     In the fall of 1849 Captain Johnson engaged as mate with Captain George H.
Flanders on the bark “Ann Smith,” carrying mail and passengers to California and
continued for several trips.  Early in 1850 he engaged as pilot with the
Hudson’s Bay Company, and the Oregon Legislature granted him the first pilot’s
“branch” issued by the State.  The first steamboat he piloted to Portland was
the “Columbia,” and it took three days to reach the city.  Captain Johnson has
continued in the discharge of his duties, and although upward of seventy, his
force and vigor is unabated.  For years he has served as harbor master of the
Port of Astoria, for which he is eminently fitted.  He was married in San
Francisco in 1849, to Miss Mary Ann Davis, a native of England, who came to
California in the same year in a sailing vessel.  In the early days in Oregon,
the country being infested with Indians, her strength of mind and heroism stood
her in good stead in defending her home and children from the assaults of the
Indians during her husband’s absence.  This union was blessed with seven
children, all being now deceased.  Albert served for a number of years in the
custom house, and Benjamin was a captain on the river.  These latter are
represented by two daughters, Esther Frances and Mary Melissa, who live with
their grandparents and shed joy and brightness over the bereaved household.

     Captain Johnson is a member of the I.O.O. F.  He has large property
interest in the city of Astoria and is favorably known and highly esteemed by
his town people.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.