Statewide County HI Archives Biographies.....Johnson, Peter October 19, 1863 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
J. Orr jessicanorr@gmail.com September 14, 2011, 1:55 pm

Source: The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders, published by the Honolulu Star Bulletin, Territory of Hawaii, 1925
Author: Edited by George F. Nellist

PETER JOHNSON, Sea Captain. Veteran navigator of the Pacific and a sailor in 
every sea that washes the six continents, Captain Peter Johnson, commodore of 
the Matson Navigation Co., and master of the crack liner “Maui,” is one of the 
best known mariners in the western ocean.
  Descended from a long line of seafarers, Captain Johnson early answered the 
call of the sea and when thirteen shipped as a cook on a Swedish sailing 
vessel and five months later ran away from the ship in Holland. From there he 
went in a small coasting vessel to Bremerhaven and joined the crew of the full 
rigged American ship “Great Republic,” then the largest sailing vessel afloat. 
He made a voyage on this vessel to Boston and from there shipped in the 
American ship “Calcutta” for Java and for four years he sailed the seven seas, 
touching at every large port in the world and advancing from deck boy and 
ordinary seaman to the rank of second mate.
  Captain Johnson first touched at Honolulu, July 7, 1880, when a sailor on 
the American ship “Centennial.” From here he shipped for San Francisco, and 
liked that city so well that in 1885 he established his home there.
  Three years later the young second mate joined the Matson organization, 
sailing in the brig “Lurline” with the late Captain William Matson, founder of 
the great steamship line that bears his name. Here began that warm friendship 
between Captain Johnson and Captain Matson that continued until the latter’s 
death in 1917. In 1890 Captain Johnson was made commander of the 
bark “Harvester,” a Matson boat on the Hilo-San Francisco run, and during the 
next ten years was master at different times of the “Santiago,” “Roderick 
Dhu,” “Annie Johnson,” and other Matson sailing vessels. In 1900 he took 
command of the steamer “Rosecrans” and since that time has successively served 
as master of the “Lurline,” “Manoa,” “Wilhelmina,” “Matsonia,” and “Maui.” 
Since 1917 he has commanded the “Maui.”
  Captain Johnson is an Elk, Mason, Shriner and a member of the Master 
Mariners’ Association of San Francisco, the Commercial and Transportation 
Clubs of San Francisco, and the Commercial and Pacific Clubs in Honolulu.
  He was born in Helsineborg, Sweden, Oct. 19, 1863, the son of Captain M. P. 
and Maria (Gustafson) Johnson. In 1897 he married Elsie Maria Rasmussen of San 
Francisco and they have three children, Mrs. L. C. Bush of Honolulu, Roderick 
Dhu Johnson, with the merchandise department of the American Factors, and 
James P. Johnson, a student in the University of California.


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