Frank Johnson

Frank Johnson apprenticed as a carpenter in New York before enlisting in the Union Army at age 17. His unit, Company M of the 11th New York Volunteer Cavalry, was assigned direct bodyguard and escort duties for President Abraham Lincoln. For 17 months, Johnson was tasked with guarding the capital, carrying dispatches to the front lines, and escorting Lincoln on his daily commutes between the White House and the Soldiers' Home. Following his presidential guard assignment, Johnson served in combat across several major theaters (including Baton Rouge, where he was wounded in action) during 34 months of total military service. In 1880, he relocated west to Spokane as construction foreman for the Northern Pacific Railroad, going on to construct Fort Spokane, Spokane's first Catholic church, the original Gonzaga College building, and the Browne's Addition home of J.J. Browne.