Johnson, Jacob Ulrich

Born in southern Sweden in 1860, Jacob Ulrich Johnson emigrated to the United States at age twenty, living briefly in Henry County, Missouri, before settling in Fresno County in 1882. After six years working as a farm laborer, he purchased a 40-acre property in the Scandinavian Colony in 1888, where he successfully cultivated Malaga grapes until selling the ranch in 1918.

In addition to his agricultural pursuits, Johnson became a major figure in Fresno County’s wine industry through his involvement with the Olson Winery—one of the county’s earliest wineries, established in 1878. After serving as director and president of the enterprise, Johnson bought out all remaining stockholders in January 1919 to become the sole owner. Married in Fresno in 1902 to Washington native Rosa Thonen, with whom he had two sons, Teddy and Sam, Johnson was widely recognized for his business acumen, enterprise, and independent civic engagement.