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Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: JAMISON,  ARNOLD, BOOT, BADER,  MESSINGER,
A leader among the public-spirited men of the Edenvale district in Santa Clara County, Herschel Johnson holds an assured place. He was born near Boulder, Colo., May 28, 1877, the son of Daniel and Phoebe Ann (Jamison) Johnson, the former now deceased and the latter residing in San Jose. Daniel Johnson was born in Winnebago County, Ill., November 23, 1844, and when a lad was taken by his parents to Northeastern Iowa, where the family settled on a farm and continued to farm until 1860. It was then news had been Spread that gold had been discovered in Colorado and the Johnson family, consisting of Daniel and his sister and their parents, crossed the plains with an ox team and for a number of years Daniel worked in one of the big smelters about Blackhawk and Central. In 1868 he located on a farm near Boulder and in 1870 he was united in marriage with Miss Phoebe Ann Jamison, who had accompanied her parents across. the plains with an ox-team train from Missouri. Their party were continually seeing the ruins of trains that had been destroyed by Indians. but were fortunately not attacked. In 1879, with his-family, Daniel Johnson moved his stock to Northern Colorado at the head waters of the Big Laramie River and took up land and became interested in raising stock. At that period wild game was in abundance and for sixteen years this was the home of the family.

In 1895 Mr. Johnson came to California to attend the Mid-Winter Fair and at the same time bought a ranch of seventy acres in the Santa Clara Valley, near Edenvale. He sold out his interests in Colorado and removed with his family to their new possessions and he engaged in the orchard business until his retirement in 1907, when he retired to San Jose and there he died, on January 23, 1920, at the home he had purchased on South Seventh Street and where Mrs. Johnson still lives. Their five children are, Orian C., of Cressey, Cal.; Eslor F., in Fresno; Edith M , Mrs. J. P. Arnold of Richmond, Cal ; Herschel, of this review, and Bertha, Mrs. J. D. Arnold of San Jose.

Herschel Johnson attended the schools of the districts in which the family lived in Colorado and finished at the Oak Grove- school on the Cottle Road. He assisted his father in the development of the ranch and made a study of horticulture. In 1915 he bought his present place of thirty acres on Cottle
Road and has developed a fine prune orchard. He also owns twenty acres of the old home place just off the Cottle Road, this property he had helped his father develop into a prune ranch. He is a hard .worker and also ever ready to learn and applies the most modern methods in taking care of his orchards and is being well rewarded in the practical results he has obtained. He believes in cooperation and is a member of the California Prune and Apricot Association, Inc., and in all progressive movements for the betterment of his community is always ready to lend a helping hand.

The marriage of Herschel Johnson on June 21, 1906, at San Jose, united him with Miss Mary Elizabeth Bader, the only daughter of Frederick and Ada (Boot) Bader, natives of Germany and England respectively. She has an only brother, Felix Bader, now residing at Carter, Mont. Mr. Bader was born in Germany on August 8, 1850, was brought by his parents, J. G. and Mary E. (Messinger) Bader, to America when three years old and reared in Allen County, Ohio, until 1862, when they removed to near Des Moines, Iowa, and continued farming. The elder Bader served all through the Civil War with Sherman and Grant.

 In 1866 Mr. Bader went to Boulder, Colo., and while living there his wife died in 1906. He and his family had spent a year, 1902-1903 in California, but returned to Colorado. After the death of his wife he spent part of his time in Colorado and part in California, making the home of his daughter his headquarters. In 1908 he practically retired, having sold his interests in Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are parents of three children, all attending the Oak Grove school, H.- Loren, Hortense E., and Florence Josephine. The family are highly respected by all who know them and take an active part in all civic activities of their neighborhood.

From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1482

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