The Johnson Families of Adair County, Iowa

E. E. JOHNSON.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

E. E. Johnson received his education in the common schools and remained under the parental roof until thirty-one years of age, when he was married and established a home of his own. He purchased a farm of two hundred, acres on section 25, Washington township, the operation of which has claimed his time and energies continuously since and on which he has made a number of substantial improvements. In connection with the cultivation of cereals he makes a specialty of raising and feeding stock of all kinds, this branch of his business materially augmenting his annual income. He is a stockholder in the Adair Telephone Company and has long been numbered among the substantial and enterprising citizens of his native county.

In 1894 Mr. Johnson was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary L. Seley, a native of Union county, Iowa, and a daughter of W. B. and Lucretia (Finley) Seley, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania. They came to Iowa in an early day, locating first in Union county, later in Adams county and subsequently in Adair county, here spending the remainder of their lives. They became the parents of sixteen children, eleven of whom are yet living. To Ir. and Mrs. Johnson have been born six children, namely: Marion, who is deceased; Elmer E.; Rachel; Ruth; Thomas; and William.

Mr. Johnson exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and has served his fellow townsmen in the capacity of trustee and school director. His wife is a devoted and consistent member of the Congregational church, exemplifying its teachings in her daily life. They have made many friends and are accorded the hospitality of the best homes.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

Through his own unaided efforts William Johnson has become the owner of eight hundred and one acres of fine land and is one of the prominent residents of Orient township). He was born in Arkansas, November li, 1837, a son of Richard and Nancy (McMerry) Johnson, both natives of Tennessee. His great-grandfather served with the troops from Virginia in the Revolutionary war and held the rank of major. The family removed to Arkansas at an early day in the history of that state and there both ))parents of our subject passed away, the father in 1859 and the mother in 1860. Six of the eight children born to their union survive.

William Johnson remained at home until he reached the age of twenty years and then went to Tennessee, where he remained a short time, after which he removed to Ohio. He enlisted in Conip/uiy I of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiment of the State Militia, but was later mustered into the Federal service. He was discharged in Columbus, Ohio, and for several years worked in the Buckeye state. In 1870 he came to Adair county, Iowa, and for three years was in the employ of J. D. Sialding. At the end of that time he began farming on a two hundred and eighty-one acre tract which is still his home farm. He set out a grove of trees which has now grown to a good size and which adds both to the value and the attractiveness of his farm. He has specialized in raising hogs and sheep and as he understands the business thoroughly and studies the markets carefully the sale of his stock yields him a gratifying annual return. From time to time as his resources have increased he has invested in additional land and now holds title to eight hundred and one acres.

On the ith of December, 1873, occurred the marriage of Mr. Johnson and Miss Margaret Craig, who was born near Glasgow, Scotland. Her parents, Alex and Jane (Dickey) Craig, located in Maryland on emigrating to America but in 1870 they removed with their family to Iowa and here both passed away. In their family were five children. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have six living children: Henry R., John A., William, Alex, Lloyd A., and Nellie, the wife of Maurice Tuttle. One child has jDassed away.

Mr. Johnson is a republican and cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln. For years he served on the school board and as township trustee and in both capacities proved able and conscientious. Although he began his independent career without capital he was not discouraged, as he believed that in this country industry, determination and sound judgment are rewarded by success, and his faith has been justified, as he is now one of the most extensive landowners of this county. Mrs. Johnson belongs to the Methodist church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

R. L. JOHNSON.

R. L. Johnson became one of the pioneer residents of Adair county and for many years was actively identified with agricultural pursuits. Even after he put aside the work of cultivating the land he engaged in the stock business for a time but at the present writing is living retired, enjoying a well earned rest. He was born in Highland county, Ohio, December 16, 18'14, a son of Ashley and Mary (Heiston) Johnson, who were also natives of the Buckeye state. The year 1848 witnessed their arrival in Iowa, at which time they took up their above in Van Buren county, where they lived in a log cabin. After ix years spent in that locality they became residents of Warren county, Iowa, where the father purchased a farm and with characteristic energy began its further development and improvement..He lived thereon imtil October, 1881, when his wife died, after which he returned to Ohio, where he passed away in December, 1885.

R. L. Johnson is one of the six survivors of a family of nine children. His youthful days were passed upon the home place, he being but four years of age when the family came to Iowa. His time was divided between the work of the school room and the labors of the farm until the Civil war, when he enlisted for service in the Union army, becoming a member of Company C, Forty-eighth Iowa Infantry. He went to the front in response to one of the later calls for troops and served until the close of the war, being mustered out at Davenport in 1865.

When military operations in the south had ceased Mr. Johnson returned to his home in Warren county, Iowa, where he resided until 1868, when he removed to Adair county, purchasing a farm in Orient township. It was then a tract of raw prairie but he soon turned the first furrows upon the place and converted it into richly productive fields. He hauled his lumber from Des Moines in order to build his house and year after year he carefully tilled the soil and continued to improve his place until 1891, when he retired from active farm life and removed to Orient. He remained in business, however, as a buyer and shipper of stock until a recent date but at the present time he is living retired, the fruits of his former toil supplying all his needs and also bringing him many of the comforts of life.

On October 6, 1870, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Ada Dillow, a native of Dayton, Ohio, and a daughter of Reuben and Mary (Rife) Dillow, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively. They were married in the former state and the mother died there in May, 1855. The father removed with his family to Adair county in 1860, settling on a farm in Orient township. He was the first settler in that township and lived there for six years before any other resident had penetrated within its borders. Deer were very numerous when he first came and other kinds of game were to be found in abundance. There were many wild animals and all of the conditions of pioneer life were prevalent. He at once began to develop and improve his land and lived to convert it from a raw prairie tract into highly cultivated fields, from which he annually gathered good crops. Upon that place he lived until his death, which occurred in 1898. By his first marriage he had five children, but Mrs. Johnson is the only one who survives. After the death of her mother the father married again, his second union being with Miss Eliza Welsh, by whom he had six sons, four of whom are living.

To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born nine children: Clara M., who is a graduate of Drake University at Des Moines and is now the wife of Dr. Eugene Tinnsman; Stella E., the wife of Charles Myers, of Creston. Iowa; Albert E., a resident farmer of Adair county; Rella P., who died at the age of one year and nine months; Reason E., who is now engaged in the banking business at Colorado Springs, Colorado; William E., who is also a banker of Colorado Springs; Bessie M., the wife of G. W. McCracken, of Orient township; Walter W., also living in Colorado Springs; and Florence A., the wife of H. L. Augustine, who is engaged in the lumber business at Maloy, Iowa.

Mr. Johnson gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He has served as school director and as justice of the peace but has never cared to hold public office, as he feels that the pursuits of private life are in themselves abundantly worth his best efforts. His wife is a member of the Consregational church and both are representatives of old pioneer families of this state and have long been witnesses of the growth and progress of Iowa.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ALBERT E. JOHNSON.

Albert E. Johnson, numbered among the most prosperous and enterprising agriculturists of Adair county, owns seven hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land in Orient township. This property includes the old home farm on which he was born on the 19th of September, 1875, his parents being Reason L. and Ada (Dillow) Johnson. A sketch of his father, a retired agriculturist residing in Orient, appears on another page of this work. In the acquirement of an education he attended the public schools and also pursued a commercial course in the Creston Business College. He was but eighteen years of age when his father removed to the town of Orient leaving him in charge of the home farm the operation of which lias claimed his time and energies continuously since. In 19U2 he purchased and also began the cultivation of a tract of three hundred and twenty acres of land lying across the road from the home place, while about 1905 he bought the home farm, comprising four hundred acres, so that his holdings now embrace seven Inmdred and tMentv acres. He cultivates all of this and in his undertakings has won a most gratifying and well merited measure of success, carrying on the work of the fields in a practical and progressive manner that insures the best results. Mr. Johnson is a member of the board of directors of the Orient Savings Bank, in which institution both he and his wife are stockholders.

In February, 1899, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Inez Swick, of Creston, Iowa, by whom he has four children, namely: Merle, Lela, Doris and Reason Paul. He gives his political allegiance to the democracy and enjoys an enviable reputation as a public-spirited, substantial and esteemed citizen of the county in which his entire life has been spent.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.