Bessie Penniman
| Bessilyn Johnson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Bessilyn Morris Penniman January 14, 1871 Walnut Creek, California |
| Died | April 22, 1943 Death Valley, California |
| Cause of death | Car accident |
| Resting place | Oberlin, Ohio |
| Education |
Stanford University Cornell University |
| Known for | Impetus for building Scotty's Castle in what is now Death Valley National Park. |
| Spouse(s) | Albert Mussey Johnson |
| Parent(s) | Hiram Penniman Carrie Penniman |
Bessilyn Johnson (January 14, 1871 – April 22, 1943), known also as "Bessie" or "Mabel", was the wife of the Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson, a man who was variously the partner, friend and dupe of the famed American Old West figure Death Valley Scotty. Bessie was one of the main characters who provided the impetus for the construction of Scotty's Castle in what is now Death Valley National Park in California.
Bessie was born Bessilyn Morris Penniman in 1872, daughter of Hiram Penniman and the only child of his second wife, Carrie. Hiram Penniman was the founder and owner of Shadelands Ranch in Walnut Creek, California, as well as one of Walnut Creek's most prominent early citizens. Bessie was the youngest of Hiram's children and was doted upon. She entered Stanford University in 1891, a member of its first incoming freshman class, and a classmate of the future President Herbert Hoover.
While at Stanford, Bessie met and became close friends with a young engineering student, Mat Roy Thompson. The two became sweethearts, and later engaged to be married. After Mat Roy's family lost their moderate fortune in the Panic of 1893, Bessie was forced to break off her engagement to him, and immediately transfer to Cornell University.
While at Cornell, Bessie met another young engineering student by the name of Albert Mussey Johnson. Bessie and Albert later married and moved to Chicago, where his business interests lay. Bessie had been given a religious upbringing and busied herself in Chicago trying to do good works. Among the tasks she undertook was taking women of ill repute into her own home in the hope that exposure to genteel surroundings would provide them with moral rehabilitation.
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Wikipedia