Introduction

Biography

Erastus was the son of Cy­rus Board­man John­son and Hep­zi­bah Hunt Page. He mar­ried twice, to El­la Al­zar­dia Brown and Ma­ry Pa­me­lia Sils­bee.

At age 17, he be­came a school teach­er in Ma­chi­as, Maine. At 26, he sailed on the Gold Hunt­er to join some of his bro­thers in the Ca­li­for­nia Gold Rush; he re­mained in the San Fran­cis­co area for about eight years.

Moving to Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia, in 1860, he stayed there 24 years, work­ing in the oil bu­si­ness. He then moved to Jack­son, Maine; Wash­ing­ton state; and last­ly to Wal­tham, Mas­sa­chu­setts.