Born in cottage of Smith grandparents. They resided in Milwaukee, Wis., up to June 1909, Berkeley and Los Angeles, Calif. after Sept. 1915 for some years. Before marriage Paul Franklin resided in New Lisbon, Wis., Whitewater, Wis., Milwaukee, Wis., Boston, Mass., Providence, R. I., Philadelphia, Penn. Family home was 3000 Maiden Lane, Altadena, Calif.
Paul Franklin Johnson, son of Professor Warren Seymour Johnson and Cora Estella (Smith) and descended from early New England settlers, was born Oct. 13, 1874 at Downsville, Wis. Two years later his father became Professor of Drawing, Mathematics and Sciences at the Whitewater State Normal School, resigning in 1883 to establish in Milwaukee his temperature regulation business. At the age of thirteen young Paul started to work in the business and has been connected with it, except when in school, ever since, holding many positions in the office, factory, outside construction and management. He attended various primary and secondary schools and graduated from the course in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology receiving the degree of S.B. in 1898.
After graduation he erected the great pneumatically operated tower clock in the City Hall in Philadelphia and similar engineering work. In 1899 he went to Milwaukee as Factory Superintendent and Purchasing Agent, of the Johnson Service Company. There he designed "Air Conditioning Apparatus," planned the machinery layout of the new factory built about 1903 and purchased all the machinery for it. Incidentally all the machinery in the old factory was moved to the new one in steam trucks of the company's own make. The first steam truck was built in 1901. Later steam pleastire cars and still later gasoline autos of both types were built until 1912.
In the winter of 1899-1900 Professor Warren Seymour Johnson, assisted by Charles L. For-tier, and son Paul, started experimenting with "Wireless Telegraphy". An exhibition set was made, which Fortier took to the International Exposition at Paris in 1900. This exhibit received the Second Prize and Silver Medal. Meantime Dr. Lee DeForest, who later invented the "Audion" on which is based all modern radio, television, telephony, etc., was employed as an assistant also. These experiments were discontinued in five or six years, but in 1900 the first wireless tower west of the Atlantic coast was erected in Milwaukee.
Eventually Paul became Secretary and Treasurer and a Director of the Johnson Service Company. In 1900 he married Hannah Foulke, of Quaker descent, in Philadelphia and their children Seymour and Eleanor were born in Milwaukee. In June, 1909, they moved to Berkeley, California, where he had charge of all the offices on the Pacific Coast, but was called back to Milwaukee in 1910 on special duty. He made various inspections and investigations throughout the country. Professor Warren Seymour Johnson died in Los Angeles Dec. 6, 1911.
In July, 1915, the Paul Johnson family motored over dirt roads from Milwaukee to San Francisco and Pasadena and in October took up residence in Altadena, their present home. In San Francisco they attended the Exposition and he participated in the deliberations of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the International Drainage and Irrigation Congress in which he was delegate from the City of Milwaukee. After that his time was divided about equally between Milwaukee and California until 1918 when be became an aeronautical-mechanical engineer in the Naval Aircraft factory at Philadelphia.
He was active in numerous engineering, technical, scientific, patriotic and civic organizations. His hobbies were photography, travel, motor touring, yacht cruising and genealogy.
In January, 1927, be with wife, mother, and sister-in-law, Caroline Foulke, started from New York on the cruise steamer "Resolute" for a trip around the world, ending in Los Angeles in May. On this trip, be, having had many years of experience in still and motion picture photography as an amateur, took 12,000 feet of 35 min. motion pictures of many places which are now very much in the headlines of war news. Having been licensed as Master of small steam vessels on Lake Michigan in 1907, and having done some cruising with his brother Carl on the latter's 62 ft. gasoline cruiser Myrno 11 in southern California waters, in August, 1927, be took up yachting by purchasing the 82 ft. twin screw gasoline cruiser which he named "Seyelyn". With this be did much cruising and won the second ocean race to San Francisco. In 1931 he cruised to Skagway and Sitka, Alaska, where an uncharted submerged rock necessitated being towed to Ketchikan for repairs. He purchased the 107 ft. twin screw Diesel yacht in Vancouver and continued down the coast in her. This was named SEYELYN II and has since made many cruises to Alaska and Mexico piloted by Paul. She is now in the navy.
Picture caption: Estates of Paul Franklin Johnson and his son and daughter.
Sources: F1, G1, G3.
He married Hannah Foulke, daughter of Joseph Foulke & Caroline Chambers, on 26 Jun 1900 in 1709 Race St., Philadelphia, Pa. Born Buckingham, Bucks Co., Pa.
In 1937 Paul and Hannah (Foulke) Johnson took a cruise which included, during June and July, the entertaining of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery of Massachusetts, by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery of London. Charles I originally granted Armorial bearings to the Massachusetts Artillery Company.
From London they went to Wales, homeland of Hannah (Foulke) Johnson's illustrious ancestors. Her emigrant ancestor, Edward, lived in Coed-y-foel, the scene of many family pilgrimages. The Foulkes were Quakers. The autobiographic "Life Travels and Experiences of Joseph Foulke" who was born May 22, 1786, in Pennsylvania, and belonged to the first settlement of Gwynedd Meeting of friends, presents a man and a background of unusual gentleness and culture. The Gwynedd Meeting was only fourteen miles from the Foulke home.
In May 1890, on the 200th Anniversary, a group of Foulke descendants, at Gwynedd Meeting, Pennsylvania, gave honor to their "Emigrant Ancestors" Edward and Eleanor Foulke, who, with their four sons and five daughters, landed in America May 1698.
Foulke Genealogy
Edward Foulke, the Emigrant Ancestor, descends from the Saxon, Norman, German Castelian and Scottish royal houses of the eleventh century, through the marriage of Eleanor, daughter of Thomas A Llewelyn, to Gruffydd Vychan, Baron of Flyndyfrdwy; and an unbroken male line from Cunedda Wledig "the patriotic", a chieftain of the fifth century, to the great rebel, Earl of Leicester. 'there are many lines descending from ancient royalty.
1. Edward Foulke, the Emigrant, was born May 13, 1651, in Wales-lived at Coed-y-foel in Rhiwlas, Marionathshire. He married Eleanor of the parish of Spgter in Denbigashire. She died in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, Jan. 16, 1733. He left Wales for Liverpool Feb. 3, 1698, and sailed thence with his wife and nine children, on the 17th of the same month in the ship "Robert and Elizabeth". They arrived at Philadelphia May 17th, 1698, and settled at Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, where be bad purchased 712 acres. He died Nov. 8, 1741.
2. Thomas, born in Wales, died Oct. 8, 1762, in the 83rd year of his age. He married Gwen, eldest daughter of David Evans of Radnor, Pennsylvania, on April 27, 1706, at Gwynedd, Pennsylvania. She died Dec. 3, 1760, 77 years.
3. Edward, born 1707, died Oct. 10, 1770, married 1st Gainor, 2nd Margaret, daughter of Hugh Griffith, on Aug. 25, 1750.
4. Hugh, born Feb. 21, 1752, died Feb. 23, 1831, married Ann, the daughter of Robert Roberts, born 1745, died Dec., 1823.
5. Joseph, born May 22, 1786, died Feb. 15, 1863, married Elizabeth Shoemaker.
6. Joseph, born Jan. 27, 1827; died Feb., 1906. Dr. Joseph and Caroline (Chambers) Foulke, who died June, 1915, were married in Philadelphia Sept. 30, 1858, and lived in Buckingham, Pennsylvania, where all their children were born:
1. Elizabeth
2. Phoebe Frances
3. Caroline
4. Hannah
5. William Dudley
6. Melissa.
7. Hannah married Paul Franklin Johnson.
Sources: "Genealogical Tables showing Descent of Edward and Eleanor Foulke, Emigrants to Pennsylvania 1698"-compiled by Edwin Rhodes Booth, of the Historical Society of Boston and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.
Born in frame house on Prince Street.
Carl Francis Johnson was graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1901 as a Mechanical Engineer with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He returned to employment of the Johnson Service Company of Milwaukee and served in many capacities in the factory, on the road and in the branch offices. In 1908 be became manager of the New York, Boston and Philadelphia offices.
In the same period he operated the Johnson Automobile Co. of New York and exhibited company made automobiles at Madison Square Garden and Grand Central Palace in New York. Later at Milwaukee be managed contracts with the U. S. Postal Department to collect and distribute the first mail ever carried by automobile for the Post Office, which commemorated the occasion by printing a special stamp having a picture of the Johnson Mail Collection Car.
At the age of fifteen years he secured his first U. S. Patent on a time stamp mechanism which be later used in designing the largest clock in the world at the St. Louis World's Fair. The clock was 112 feet in diameter and the minute hand was 72 feet long. The same mechanism was used in the largest tower clock in the world, at that time, in the Philadelphia City Hall.
At the age of 39 years, he volunteered for service with the Army in 1918 and was stationed at Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, Kentucky. Having contracted influenza at camp and being in poor health at time of his discharge, he resigned as Vice President of the Johnson Co. and went to California. He later became a legal resident of Nevada.
His creative instinct found expression in architectural design and building construction. A love of good music led to the composition and publication of several pieces for the piano. As a sportsman be devoted much time to organization of associations in the interest of conservation of natural resources.
He published and edited the Sportsman's Review at Los Angeles, created the California Deputies College for training officers in law enforcement and the California Reserve Deputies Association. In 1929 he was elected President of the world famous Tuna Club at Catalina Island.
As a yachtsman he assisted in creation of the Catalina Island Yacht Club of which be was later Commodore and President. As an aviator, he established the Nevada State Airmen and also the Instrument Flight Institute for training airline pilots in instrument flight and radio navigation. His students included B-29, B-17, P-38 and other Army pilots.
During World War 11, be commanded the 6th Wing of the 9th Corps Area under the War Department with a Major's Commission. He established a Mounted Unit and a Motorized Unit as well as the flying Unit of his command. His command was charged with the locating and recovery of personnel and equipment of crashed Army planes.
Mr. Johnson was a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brother, a 32 degree Mason, Life Member of the Reno Consistory, Knight Templar of De Witt Clinton Commandery No. 1, Reno, Nevada, and Shriner of Kerak Temple, Reno. The Commandery originated at Virginia City, Nevada, and is one of only three Mounted Commanderies in the United Steates.
Picture caption: CARL FRANCIS JOHNSON
Sources: G1, G3, F1.
He married Mary Isabelle Jenkins, daughter of William Norman Jenkins & Margaret McGucken, on 12 Oct 1908 in Chicago, Ill.
Parents of Milwaukee, Wis.
They had the following children:
i.
A son. Born on 18 Jul 1911. Died on at birth.
ii.
Margaret Frances. Born Milwaukee, Wis., on 21 Sep 1914. Died Milwaukee, Wis., on 21 Dec 1914.