Matthews, Fannie Valedo (b. 1855, d. ?)

Census: Date: 1900
Place: Manhattan, New York, New York

Census: Date: 1910
Place: South Orange, Essex, NJ

Census: Date: 1900
Place: Manhattan, New York, New York

Census: Date: 1910
Place: South Orange, Essex, NJ

Note: SOLICITORS GENERAL OF THE NAVY 1862-1941
Tristam B. Johnson
1 Apr 1911 - 16 Jul 1911

Father of Navy Solicitor, Killed by Lightning, Accompanies Remains

The body of Tristam Burgess Johnson, solicitor of the Navy Department, who was killed by lightening on the Chevy Chase golf links last Sunday, was taken to South Orange, N. J., the home of his father, J Augustus Johnson, late yesterday afternoon. Mr. Johnson’s father arrived in Washington yesterday and immediately made arrangements for the removal of the body.

It is expected that Mrs. Johnson, wife of the former solicitor, will reach South Orange this morning. Mrs. Johnson, who had been visiting in Atlantic City, did not come to Washington Sunday night as was expected. She was prostrated at the news of her husband’s death, and her parents, Prof. and Mrs. Giddings, advised her to remain in Atlantic City until the body could be taken to South Orange. The burial probably will take place Wednesday.

Scores of friends of Mr. Johnson sent messages of condolence yesterday to the residence of Francis Bennet Poe, 2022 Hillyer place northwest, where the body was taken after the accident.

Census: Date: 1910
Place: 15-Wd Manhattan, New York, New York

Census: Date: 1870
Place: Hackensack, Bergen, NJ

Census: Date: 1910
Place: South Orange, Essex, NJ

Census: Date: 1910
Place: 15-Wd Manhattan, New York, New York

Census: Date: 1910
Place: 15-Wd Manhattan, New York, New York

Note: Rankin Johnson (1873-1957), a civil engineer who built railroads in Mexico and Bolivia and later headed a transit company in Trenton, New Jersey, was born October 16, 1873 at Rutland, Vermont. He was the son of James Gibson and Mary (Rankin) Johnson, grandson of Lorenzo Dow and Mary (Burges) Johnson, and great?grandson of Jeremiah and Mary Duesbury (Gibson) Johnson.

The Johnson family, whose members made distinguished contributions in many fields, was originally from Massachusetts, and claimed descent from John Alden and from Thomas Burgess, an officer under King Charles I of England. Five of the family fought in the Revolutionary War. Rankin Johnson's great great uncle, Tristam Burgess (d. 1853), was a U.S. representative from Rhode Island. His grandfather, Lorenzo, was an evangelist and preacher. Of Johnson's five uncles, the first became chief of the U.S. Lighthouse Service; the second practiced law, after having served as consul general at Beirut; the third was an engineer and managed the Huntington railroad, mining, and ranching interests in Mexico; the fourth was a surgeon who owned a private hospital in Washington, D.C.; and the fifth became a captain in the U.S. Cavalry, eventually commanding Ft. Reno, at that time an Indian Territory. Johnson's father, after intending to become a lawyer, became a Congregationalist minister, serving in Rutland, Vermont, Chicago, Illinois, Japan, and Farmington, Connecticut. His brother, Burges Johnson (1877-1963), was an editor, publisher, educator, and author. Rankin Johnson and his wife Kate were married some time before 1916 and had four sons: Rankin Jr., Tristam B., Edward, and Burges.

Rankin Johnson went to school in Rutland, Vermont and then to the Sheffield Scientific School and Yale University from which he received a B.S. degree in civil engineering in June 1895. Through the influence of his uncle, Loren Johnson, in July 1895 he obtained employment with the Huntington Controlled Mexican International Railroad, which ran from Eagle Pass, Texas to Durango. He became, successively, chainman (1895); rodman, coal mine surveyor, and assistant engineer in the road department ( 1896); engineer in charge of constructing a branch line (1898); and assistant chief engineer (1899), in which capacity he was responsible for all location and construction of the railroad. In July 1906 he accepted a job offered by Speyer & Co. which had contracted with the Bolivian government to build and operate a thousand mile railroad, in six lines, at the second highest railroad altitude in the world. That autumn Johnson began work at La Paz as general manager and chief engineer of the Bolivia Railway Co. which was not formally incorporated until February 1907. In addition, he had general charge of governmental relations and organization of the work in Bolivia, including that performed by the South American Construction Co., a Speyer subsidiary. In 1909 he had charge of the Bolivian end of negotiations to sell control of the Bolivia Railway to the British owned Antofagasta (Chile) Railway Co. When the sale was completed, he declined offers by the Bolivian government to represent them in dealings with all railroad companies and interests, and by the Antofagasta Railway to represent them in Bolivia and Chile.

Returning to the United States, he opened an office in New York City in September 1909 as a consulting engineer. After attempting unsuccessfully to obtain a suitable position with an American railroad, in 1911 he became vice president of the Trenton and Mercer County Traction Corporation, incorporated in New Jersey in 1910, which after 1929 was called the Trenton Transit Co. For a while he continued his consulting work on a part time basis before becoming president of the transit company some time before 1917. After 1933, when the company went into receivership, he served as court appointed receiver. Johnson gained prominence in the field of transit for his innovative use of publicity (1917), total conversion from trolleys to buses (1934), and control of bus traffic by supervisors stationed at sidewalk telephones (1939). He also contributed several short pieces to Transit Journal. His active role in management ceased in 1941, when the company merged with the Trenton Street Railway Co.

Johnson's professional affiliations included the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, the American Railway Master Mechanics Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Master Car Builders Association. He died of a heart attack at his house in Princeton, New Jersey on Nov. 2, 1957.

Note: PRINCETON - Tristam B. Johnson, 84, a lifelong Princeton resident and retired investment advisor, died July 31 at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly.
He had suffered a stroke in November 1999, and had been living at the home of his daughter, Katie Hill, and her late husband Terry in Columbus for the past two years. During this time, his life was enriched by his constant and devoted companion and care giver, Rayfield Meyers.

Mr. Johnson was born in Princeton Aug. 17, 1919 and attended Princeton Country Day School and Lawrenceville School before graduating from Yale with the Class of 1941. He joined the U.S. Army immediately after graduation and served during World War II as an intelligence officer stationed in Australia where he intercepted and decoded Japanese communications. Upon his return to Princeton, he embarked on a long and successful career as a stockbroker and investment advisor.

Mr. Johnson had a passionate interest in American history, especially the American Revolution. One of his most cherished involvements included crossing the Delaware during the annual reenactment of George Washington Crossing the Delaware and the battles of Trenton and Princeton. He also applied his passion for history and his financial skills to assisting in the creation of the Swan Foundation, an institution dedicated to preserving and displaying artifacts from the American Revolution.

A loyal member and former president of the Princeton Rotary Club since 1951, he was also a member of the Nassau Club. Mr. Johnson was a longtime member and former elder of First (now Nassau) Presbyterian Church and a former member of the Bay Head Yacht Club and Pretty Brook Tennis Club.

Mr. Johnson's wife, the former Eileen Douglas, died in January 2002. He is survived by four children from his first marriage to the late Helen Harris Johnson, Kate E. Hill of Columbus, Tristam B. Johnson Jr. of Newfane, Vt., Thomas H. Johnson of Salt Lake City, Utah and Elizabeth H. Johnson of Williamstown, Mass.; and two sons from his marriage to Barbara L. Johnson of Princeton, Jeffrey D. Johnson of Castleton, Vt. and Kevin P. Johnson of Newtown, Mass.

Also surviving are two stepsons, Christopher Reeve of Bedford, N.Y. and Benjamin Reeve of Arlington, Mass.; 19 grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

A Memorial Service will be held 4 p.m. Friday at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau St., Princeton, with a reception following at The Nassau Club, 6 Mercer St., Princeton.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Swan Foundation at The National Museum of the American Revolution, Washington Crossing State Park, 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ 08560.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
'Register-News, 8/5/04'

Tristam B. Johnson, 84, a lifelong Princeton resident and retired investment advisor, died July 31 at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mt. Holly. He suffered a stroke in November, 1999, and had been living at the home of his daughter, Katie Hill, in Columbus for the past two years.

Born in Princeton, Mr. Johnson attended Princeton Country Day School and Lawrenceville School before graduating from Yale with the Class of 1941. He joined the Army immediately after graduation and served during World War II as an intelligence officer stationed in Australia, where he intercepted and decoded Japanese communications. Upon his return to Princeton, he embarked on a long career as a stockbroker and investment adviser After learning the brokerage business in New York City, he established the Tristam B. Johnson Company in Princeton before being asked to help start the Princeton branch of Laidlaw & Co. in the 1950s. He was later associated with Kidder Peabody, and with Hornblower Weeks & Co. in its Trenton office. Most recently he was with Paine Webber, now UBS Financial Services, where he continued to work long after retirement age.

Active in Republican politics in Princeton, he was elected to Borough Council in 1956 and served as Council President and then as acting mayor when Mayor Mac Sturges was stricken with a heart attack. In 1958 he ran unsuccessfully for mayor on the Republican ticket. He was the New Jersey chairman of the campaign to elect Nelson Rockefeller president.

In the early 1970s he was named financial consultant in the formation of the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority, in which capacity he assisted in securing the multi-million dollar bond issue for the construction of the new sewerage plant on River Road. He was also a member of a statewide transportation advisory council.
He had a passionate interest in American history, especially the American Revolution. He became engaged in the concept of "living history² during the bicentennial reenactments in the Princeton area. He took on the characters of several French and American Revolution figures as a part of the reenactments of battles associated with the Revolutionary War, in order to bring to life the importance of the events of that era. One of his most cherished involvements included crossing the Delaware River during the annual reenactment of George Washington's crossing and the subsequent battles of Trenton and Princeton. He also helped create the Swan Foundation, an institution dedicated to preserving and displaying artifacts from the American Revolution.
A member and former president of the Princeton Rotary Club since 1951, he was also a member of the Nassau Club, the Bay Head Yacht Club, and Pretty Brook Tennis Club.

He was a longtime member and former elder of First (now Nassau) Presbyterian Church.

A devoted father and grandfather, he took great pleasure in touching the lives of his children, grandchildren, and great grandson, often with surprise visits.
Predeceased in 2002 by his wife, the former Eileen Douglas, he is survived by four children from his first marriage to the late Helen Harris Johnson, Kate L. Hill of Columbus, Tristam Jr. of Newfane, Vt., Thomas of Salt Lake City, and Elizabeth H. Johnson of Williamstown, Mass.; and two sons from his marriage to Barbara L. Johnson of Princeton, Jeffrey of Castleton, Vt., and Kevin of Newtown, Mass. Also surviving are two stepsons, Christopher Reeve of Bedford, N.Y. and Benjamin Reeve of Arlington, Mass.; 19 grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; a great-grandson; and his constant companion and caregiver, Rayfield Meyers.

A memorial service will be held at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, on Friday, August 6 at 4 p.m., with a reception following at The Nassau Club, 6 Mercer Street.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Swan Foundation, c/o The National Museum of the American Revolution, Washington Crossing State Park, 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville 08560.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.



U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Record

Name: Tristam B Johnson
Birth Year: 1919
Race: White, citizen
Nativity State or Country: New Jersey
State: New Jersey
County or City: Mercer

Enlistment Date: 29 Sep 1941
Enlistment State: New Jersey
Enlistment City: Trenton
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life

Education: 4 years of college
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 70
Weight: 169

New York Passenger Lists Record

Name: Tristam Johnson
Arrival Date: 03 Apr 1937
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1920
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Hamilton, Bermuda
Ship Name: Queen of Bermuda
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Line: 18
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: 5958
Page Number: 83
Port Arrival State: New York
Port Arrival Country: United States
Birth Location: New Jersey
Birth Location Other: Princeton

Note: editor, publisher, educator, and author