The Johnson Families of Fayette County, Ohio

ISAAC M. JOHNSON.

', Isaac M. Johnson, farmer and stock raiser, is a son of William and Jane B. Johnson, who came in an early day from Virginia, and sQttled in Heller's Bottom, on Paint Creek, Ross County, Ohio, where they remained for twenty-seven years, when they removed to Fayette County, and settled on the old Jesse Rowe farm, on the waters of the Wabash, where he died about 1833. Mrs. Johnson died in March, 1880, being in her ninetieth year. They were the parents of the following children: Thomas G., married, and lives in Green Township, near Buena Vista; Sarah, married, and lives in Iowa; William, married, moved to Indiana, and died; John, married, and died at the age of twenty-two; George, married, and lives in Iowa; Sophia, wife of Martin Rowe, whose biography appears in this work; Otho, married, went to Illinois, and was killed by a railroad accident at Toleno Jnnction; Hinton, married, moved to Illinois, and is dead; Eliza, wife of John Mitchner, lives in Staunton; Caleb II., married, and lives in Concord Township; Mary A., married to Eli Johnson (no kin), and lives in Leesburg, Highland County, Ohio; Anna, married to William Pavey, but is dead; Isaac M., the subject of this sketch.

Our subject was born in Fayette County, September 9, 1823, and was married to Miss Casander Dick, daughter of John Dick, October 8, 1846. They were the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters: Jane Josephine, married, and lives in this county; Mary Lorena, married, and lives in Staunton; Scott, died when but two years of age; Ilenson D., single, and at home on the farm with his father.

Mrs. Johnson died in the fall of 1855, and about one year afterward Mr. Johnson married for his second Avife Leann Clauson, daughter of William Clauson, residing near New Holland. They are without children. Mrs. Johnson is a most excellent woman, but does not enjoy first-class health. Mr. Johnson purchased what was known as the Jenkins farm, in the spring of 1849, and soon settled on the same, where lie still remains. His farm contains three hundred and seventy-eight acres, situated on the pike leading from Washington to Greenfield, about midway between the towns. They live in a magnificent brick house, with a lovely yard and surroundings, on the south side of the pike. Mr. Johnson is one of the well to-do farmers of Fayette County. He was out in the army for four months, and was taken prisoner by Morgan's forces at Cynthiana, Kentucky, but was soon released. In politics he is a life-long Republican; in religion, a Methodist.

Some eight years ago a very interesting orphan girl was placed in the family of Mr. Johnson (Miss Ellen Brown, daughter of the late Dr. Brown, of Martinsburg,) by her grandfather, Avho requested Mr. and Mrs. Johnson to take charge of her, andraise her to womanhood. She was but seven years old at the time. She proved to be a very interesting girl; so amiable and sweet-spirited that Mr. Johnson and family became very greatly attached to her — indeed, they loved het as though she was a member of the family by blood, and especially was this the case with Mrs. Johnson. Some two years ago Ellen died a triumphant death, believing, with all her heart, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such was Mrs. Johnson's love and affection for this dear orphan girl, that she weeks, as only a pure woman can weep, when she talks of Ellen Brown's life and death.

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

CALEB H. JOHNSON.

Caleb H. Johnson, farmer and stock raiser, Seldon, is the son of William Johnson, who was one of the pioneers of this county, whose biography more fully appears elsewhere in this book. Mr. Johnson is the brother of Thomas G. and Isaac M. Johnson, whose biographies also appear in this work. He was born in Green Township, March 29, 1829, and consequently is in the fifty-third year of his age. He married Nancy Eow, daughter of Andrew and Hester Row, November 16, 1850. Her parents are now dead. They lived two years on a farm after their marriage, when they resolved on a trip to California. In November, 1852, they started on their journey. At the end of thirty days they reached the great Sacramento Valley, where they remained for six years, engaged principally in farming, raising as high as a hundred bushels of barley to the acre; of wheat, sixty bushels per acre. The great valley was but sparsely settled at this early day, mining being the absorbing interest of the country. For months their nearest neighbor was four miles away. All nationalities and classes of people moving over the mountains and valleys, making life and property unsafe; but most heroicly did Mrs. Johnson bear up amid all of these discouragements. She was the first woman who went from this county to California, and so far as known was the first woman who crossed the isthmus on a mule. Their career in California was an eventful one, filled with incidents, many of which are quite thrilling.

After their return to Ohio, they settled on a farm which he purchased from Thomas Mattucks, two miles west of the village of Staunton, on the road leading from Staunton to Sabina and Greenfield pike. They remained on this for twenty-one years, when they sold out and purchased what is known as the Milton Severs farm, containing one hundred and thirty acres, in Concord Township, one-half a mile south of the village of Jasper, on the waters of Sugar Creek. They moved to this farm in March, 1880, where they now reside.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were without children until after their return from California. They now have two, one son and a daughter. John Row the son, is a sprightly boy fifteen years old. Jenny Riggs is a lovely, bright girl, several years younger than her brother.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are genial and kind, having seen much of life in California and elsewhere.

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

SOLOMON F. JOHNSON.

Solomon F. Johnson, coal dealer and farmer, is the son of Thomas T. and Mary Johnson, who were natives of Virginia; but came with their parents to this state, in an" early day, when they were quite young. His father first settled in Greene County, and his mother in Warren County. After their marriage they removed to Springfield Illinois, where they remained some three years; when they removed to the State of Indiana and remained a short time, then they returned to Ohio and settled in Fayette County, where the mother died, at the age of seventy-two, and the father at the advanced age of eighty. They were the parents of seven children, four daughters and three sons. Anna, married to Simeon Creamer, now deceased. She remains a widow and lives near the line of Clinton and Fayette counties. Rachel died at the age of twelve. Amos Thornburg, married and lives in Jacksonville, Oregon. Martha was unmarried, and died in Springfield, Illinois, at the age of eighteen. Lj'dia married for her first husband Wesley Creamer, and after his decease, she married Mathias Sheeley for her second husband. She is a resident of this county. William Todd married and moved to the State of Iowa some years ago.

Solomon F., the subject of this sketch, was born near Paintersville, Greene County, Ohio, December 31, 1824. He married Miss

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

Mr. Johnson spent several years, after his removal to this county, in farming, and selling goods and groceries in JeiFersonville and West Lancaster.

In 1857, he moved to Washington, and was engaged in the grain and grocery business until April, 1858, when he became deputy sheriff of the county, which otSce consumed his time up to August, 1860,* when on the third day of that month, he was appointed station agent for the town of Washington, by the Cincinnati, Wilmington and Zanesville. Railroad Company, now known as the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Eailroad. In a very short time after his appointment as railroad agent, he was appointed agent of the Adams Express Company, which position he held for some fourteen years. Mr. Johnson held the position of railroad agent, at Washington, for seventeen years; resigning August 3,

In 1862, he commenced the selling of coal in Washington, and has continued in the business up to the present time. For many years he was the only dealer in coal in the town, and few men here handled so large an amount of coal as has Mr. Johnson. The year previous to Mr Johnson's commencing the coal business, only forty five car loads of coal were required to supply the trade of the town. Mr. Johnson has seen such an increase in the coal demand, that more than one thousand car loads have been disposed of in a single year. Mr. Johnson has always been considered a safe, honest and reliable business man; giving strict attention to business, and as a result, has accumulated quite an amount of valuable property. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and fifty acres adjoining the town, west, on the C. & M. V. Railroad. Also, a very fine new brick residence, where he resides, on North Street, between Court and East streets; also, quite a number of valuable pieces of property in the town; as well as some fifty-nine hundred dollars of bank stock, in the Peoples and Drovers Bank of the town.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are the parents of nine children, five of whom are deceased: Theresa and Willie died in infancy, Clara Bell at the age of twelve, Laura at the age of fifteen, and Nellie at the age of twelve.

Theodore Frank is a young man of much promise. He remains single and takes good care not to leave his mother's bed and board. He has been connected with the Peoples and Drovers Bank of Washington for a number of years, and is regarded as a safe, upright business young man. He received his education in the schools of the town.

Lucy May and Emma Gary, arc young ladies, both single and at home with their parents; both being graduates of the high school of the town, and much respected by all.

' Charley Card is a lad of eighteen, attending school, and during vacation assisting his father in the coal business.

In politics Mr. Johnson is a Republican. In religion, a Quaker. He is a Freemason, being a member of Lodge No. 107, of this town.

Mrs. Johnson is a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church.

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

JOHN JOHNSON, SR.

John Johnson, sr., son of Samuel Johnson, was born in Pendleton County, Virginia, where he married Sallie, daughter of Jacob Harper, who bore him nine children, six sons and three daughters, those surviving being: Sallie Ann Stookey, living in New Holland; Abbie, widow of William Woods, now residing in Indiana, and John. The latter was born in 1801, in Pendleton County, Virginia, and when seven years of age came to this state, with his parents, and settled in Ross County, then one vast wilderness, with few white settlements, and chiefly inhabited by Indians. Twelve years later they came to Fayette County, settling in Marion Township, and in about 1830, located on the farm now in the possession of our subject, where his father died; his mother died at the residence of her son-in-law, in Ross County.

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

BENJAMIN F. JOHNSON.

Benjamin F. Johnson, farmer, is a son of John L. Johnson, a native of Highland County, who came to Greene County when a young man, where he married Miss Elizabeth Watson (our subject's mother), and lived the remainder of his life, dying January 31, 1865. Mrs. Johnson is still living.

Our subject was born April 4, 1845, in Greene County, where he married Miss Louisa Jackson, who has borne him three children:

Clara E., Jennie M., and Etta L. The latter died at the early age of five years. Mrs. Johnson died September 29, 1871. He then

-married Miss Mary A. Knapp, January 10, 1873. He has a farm of seventy-eight acres, situated two and a half miles northwest of Jeffersonville. He was elected trustee of this township in 1879, and served two years. He and his wife are members of the Disciple Church. They are good neighbors, and respected citizens.

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