James Augustus Johnson | |
Office: | 14th Lieutenant Governor of California |
Term Start: | December 9, 1875 |
Term End: | January 14, 1880 |
Governor: | William Irwin |
Predecessor: | William Irwin |
Successor: | John Mansfield |
Office2: | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 3rd district |
Term Start2: | March 4, 1867 |
Term End2: | March 3, 1871 |
Predecessor2: | John Bidwell |
Successor2: | John M. Coghlan |
Office3: | Member of the California Assembly |
Term Start3: | 1859 |
Term End3: | 1861 |
Predecessor3: | J. A. Clarke, R. D. Hill |
Alongside3: | Joshiah Lefever, Thomas J. Haliday |
Successor3: | John Dougherty, Thomas Wright |
Birth Date: | May 16, 1829 |
Birth Place: | Spartanburg, South Carolina |
Residence: | Downieville, California |
Death Date: | May 11, 1896 (aged 66) |
Death Place: | San Francisco, California |
Restingplace: | Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Colma, California. |
Occupation: | lawyer |
Party: | Democratic |
James Augustus Johnson (May 16, 1829 – May 11, 1896) was an American physician, lawyer, and politician. He served as a U.S. representative from California from 1867 to 1871. He went on to serve as the state's 14th Lieutenant Governor from 1875 to 1880.
Johnson was born May 16, 1829, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.[1] When he was quite young he moved with his parents to Arkansas where he attended the common schools. He moved to California in 1853. He studied medicine and was graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1859, then commenced the practice of law in Downieville, California.[2]
Johnson served as a member of the California State Assembly in 1859 and 1860, representing Sierra County.
He was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fortieth and Forty-first U.S. Congresses, serving from March 4, 1867, until March 3, 1871.
He served as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1875 until 1880. After leaving office he moved to San Francisco.
He served as registrar of voters in 1883 and 1884.
He continued practicing law until his death on May 11, 1896, in San Francisco, at age 66. He was interred in the Masonic Cemetery, and in 1931 was re-interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Colma, California.