Grove L. Johnson

Grover Lawrence Johnson (March 27, 1841 – February 1, 1926) was an American attorney and politician from California. In addition to serving in both houses of the state legislature, Johnson also served as a United States Representative. He was the father of Senator Hiram Warren Johnson. Early life Johnson was born in Syracuse, New York, on March 27, 1841. He attended the local schools, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1862. While establishing himself as a lawyer, Johnson served on the Syracuse Board of School Commissioners in 1862 and 1863. In 1863, Johnson was accused of falsifying endorsements on promissory notes worth $250 each. Unable to pay the debt, he hastily departed for Arizona Territory to accept a job arranged by his brother as a quartermaster's clerk for the Union Army. Arizona Territory. He held this position until the end of the American Civil War in April 1865, when he relocated to California. Move to California Johnson moved to California in 1865, and established himself in Sacramento, where he built a successful law practice, sold insurance, and became involved in other business ventures. He was able to satisfy his past debts, and the charges against him in Syracuse were dismissed.