Anders Oskar Johannesson was born in April 15 1877 in Koxeröd in the parish of Naverstad.

He was the youngest of nine children. He immigrated to America in 1896 and he settled down in New York. Anders, or Andy O Johnson as he was called, worked as a carpenter for three years.

Made his way in to the hotel industry

After a short visit in Sweden, Anders came to Kaslo in British Columbia, Canada. He took over the Central Hotel in 1903 and a few years later also the Knob Hill Hotel in Phoenix. Anders became a central figure in the city’s many associations and was “the first president of the first ski club in Canada”.

He was known as well in British Columbia as in America, being the leader of a lodge to The Scandinavian Help and Unity Association. As a representative, he visited general meetings in the Eastern states and Spokane among others.

When the lodge of Phoenix hosted the general meetings, Johannesson always took care of all arrangements and made the stay a pleasure for the Anders made a huge loss when the mines in Phoenix shut down and the city closed down in 1918-1919, but he moved to Princeton and bought the Tulemeen Hotel.

He transported all the furniture and effects from his hotels in Phoenix to his new hotel. He took an active interest in the different associations in Princeton as well; he was the chairman of Princeton’s first ski club and the leader of the Scandinavian colony.