Samuel Augustus Johnson

AMUEL AUGUSTUS JOHNSON, the senior member of the lirm of S. A. Johnson it Co., hardware dealers of St. Charles, was born in Stoughton, Mass., on the 7tii of June, 1826, and is of English descent. His grandfather, Robert Johnson, was a native of England, and was a sea-faring man, being mate of a ship which sailed across the Atlantic. He was on one of his trips at the time of his death, and was buried in the ocean.

Royal Johnson, father of Samuel A., was a native of Boston, Mass., and engaged in the manufacture of shoes. Having arrived at years of maturity, lie married Sarah Winchester, daughter of Samuel Winchester, who was one of the heroes of the Revolution, and fought at the battle of Bunker Hill. He, too, was born in the Bay State, and came of one of the early families of the Massachusetts Colony. Royal Johnson spent his last years in Minnesota with his son. He was born in 1800, and was called to the home beyond at the age of seventy-four. His wife passed away in Connecticut when in middle life.

Mr. Johnson, the subject of this sketch, was a child of seven years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Connecticut. Under his iy3 father's direction he learned the shoe-maker's trade, serving a regular apprenticeship. He was employed at Kastford, Conn., and worked as a journeyman four years, then becoming a partner in the old firm with which he had served his apprenticeship. A branch factory was established at Northampton. Mass., and Mr..johnson took charge of the Easlford House, having many men under his control. In 1855 lie severed his business connections in the Kast and emigrated westward, bringing with him a capital of about ?3,000. His destination was Minnesota, and he landed at Winona, but soon after located a mile and a-half north of St. Charles, where, under the pre-emption law, he secured a claim. He located on the land and at once began to improve the farm. At the time of his arrival there also came to the county his brother, George H. Johnson, now of Blooming Prairie, Wis.; a sister, Mrs. Isaac M. Childs; and his wife's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter, and their two sons, Loren N. and Uriah L. The latter resides in Dover Township, and the former died from the effects of armjservice. He enlisted in the Union cause during the War of the Rebellion, was taken sick with fever, lost his eye-sight, and being unfit for further duty was discharged. A sister of Mrs. Johnson is now the wife of Isaac M. Higley, and resides in Chatfield.

On the ist of.September, 1852, was celebrated the marriage of Samuel A. Johnson and Miss Mary C. Carpenter, of Eastford, Conn. To them were born six children: Everett C, who is now engaged in business with his father; Richard II., who is cashier of a bank in Dickinson, N. Dak.; Ella A., wife of J. C. Hendec, of St. Charles; Robert A., who is a member of his father's firm; Alfred P., who is engaged in the hardware business in Garfield, Wash.; and Winnie, who died in childhood.

Mr. Johnson was also found among the boys in blue during the late war. He enlisted in February, 18G1, in Brackett's Minnesota Battalion, and did service under General Sully in the Northwest, taking part in the Sioux campaign in Dakota, and going up the headwaters of the Missouri and on to Devil's Lake. He participated in the battle of Killdeer, Mont., about tliirty-five miles northwest of the present town of Dickinson, where about three thousand were engaged on each side. He spent one winter at Ft. Ridgely, and one at Ft. Randall, on the Missouri, and was discharged in M.w, 1866, after a service of two-iand a-half years.

Mr. Johnson successfully followed farming from the time of his marriage until May, 1877, when he embarked in the hardware business in St. Charles, with a stock valued at about $2,000. This has been largely increased to meet the growing demand, and since his sons have become members of the firm they have also added a line of agricultural implements. They arc men of good business ability, and careful management and close attention to all details have brought them a well merited success. Mr. Johnson sold his original farm and purchased two hundred and forty acres of land nearer St. Charles, to the further improvement and cultivation of which he devotes his energies in connection with his commercial interests. He votes the Republican ticket, and is in close touch with his party. He is highly esteemed as a straightforward, honorable business man, and in the history of his adopted county well deserves representation.

patriotic citizen should stand by the Union in lier hour of peril and aid in crushing out the rebellion. Donning the blue, he was assigned to Company G of the Third New York Infantry. He was the first one to enlist in the town of Stockton, N. Y., and with the company he continued until the 19th of April, 1862, when he was discharged on a surgeon's certificate of disability. He afterward reenlisted, but his services were not accepted. While in the army he had suffered from an attack of typhoid fever, and was confined in the Union Hotel Hospital at Georgetown, D. C, for some time.

After being mustered out, Mr. Duncan returned to his home in Stockton, N. Y., and learned the profession of dentistry, which he followed for two years, but on the expiration of that period he resumed farming, as he did not like office work. In the spring of 1869 he left his home in the East for Missouri, and in that state purchased a farm, upon which he resided for a few months. He then sold and came to Minnesota, where for about five years he served as Superintendent of the County Poor Farm, discharging the duties of that position in a prompt and acceptable manner. His next place of residence was in Winona City, where he remained for a year. He then rented a farm for two years, after which he purchased the farm on which he now resides.

On Independence Day of 1862, shortly after his return from the scene of war, Mr. Duncan was joined in wedlock with Miss Mary Kelly, of Stockton, N. Y., who died in March, 1875. He later married Miss Helen C. Kelly, a sister of his first wife, and to them have been born two sons, Harry and Herman. Mr. Duncan is a stanch Republican in his political views, and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He may truly be called a self-made man, for since the age of twelve he has been dependent on his own resources, and his success is the reward of earnest effort.

Samuel Augustus Johnson.

As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Winona County, Minnesota; containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county (1895). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.