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- HON. DANIEL JOHNSON, an honored pioneer and retired farmer
- now residing in Evansville, is a son of David JOHNSON, who
was born in the State of Vermont, Jan. 16, 1796, and belonged
to one of the early families of the Green Mountain State. When
a lad he emigrated with his father to Steuben County, N.Y., where
he was reared, and during the early days of his manhood he went
to Kentucky, and in that State married Keziah DOLSON, who had
removed from Steuben County, N.Y., with her parents but a short
time previous. Soon after their marriage, the young couple became
residents of Wayne County, Ohio, where they made their home for
a while and then became residents of Clark County, where Mr.
JOHNSON cleared and developed a farm. His residence in Ohio continued
from 1816
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- to 1837, when he went with his family to Jennings County,
Ind., and here purchased a saw and grist mill but the investment
proving unprofitable, he determined to continue his journey to
the West.
- Previous to that time, Daniel JOHNSON, the subject of this
sketch,
- had visited Wisconsin. In the month of October, 1838, he
left home, his journey being made on foot, and went to a point
on the Wabash River, near Attica, from whence he proceeded to
Chicago, where he arrived four weeks after leaving home. Two
weeks of that time had been spent in husking corn at a farm house
where he stopped in Indiana. Chicago at the time of his first
visit to that city was an insignificant little village on a low
prairie and gave no promise of the importance to which it has
since attained. His means being very limited, Mr. JOHNSON was
constantly on the lookout for work, depending on his labor on
the way to secure the necessary funds with which
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- to pay his expenses. He had at that time scarcely passed
his seventeenth birthday. His father had previously been in comfortable
circumstances, having acquired considerable property before going
to Indiana, but by his unfortunate investment in the milling
business he lost all that he had and was compelled, in a financial
sense, to begin life anew. Of course at that time he was unable
to give Daniel any material assistance and thus we find him struggling
alone to make a start in life. He remained but a day or two in
Chicago, as he could find no work to do, when again shouldering
his knapsack, he started for the territory of Wisconsin. In McHenry
County, Ill., he secured employment and worked for a month, but
received no compensation for his services. In the latter part
of January, 1839, he at length arrived in Walworth County, Wis.,
with $4.50 in his pocket. Resolved to make his life a success,
with characteristic energy he began his search for work and soon
found employment with Henry PHENIX, of Delavan, and during the
remainder of the winter, and the following spring he worked for
Mr. PHENIX and others in the neighborhood. While engaged with
his first employer in Wisconsin he aided in the building of a
sawmill at the outlet of Delavan Lake, which was one of the first
mills erected in Walworth County. In the spring of 1839, he carried
the chain for the surveyors in laying out the first plat of Delavan.
- After remaining at his new home until the month of June,
Mr. JOHNSON returned to Indiana for
- the purpose of persuading the family to remove to Wisconsin,
and before returning, on the 22nd of October, he was united in
marriage with Miss Angeline COURTER. His birth occurred Nov.
30, 1821, consequently he was but eighteen years of age, while
his wife was but seventeen years of age. Mrs. JOHNSON is a daughter
of Cornelius and Mahala (NOE) COURTER, who were natives of New
Jersey, in which State their marriage was celebrated. Later they
removed to Clark County, Ohio, where Mrs. JOHNSON was born, Nov.
22, 1822, and when she was but three years old her father died.
At the age of fourteen years she was left an orphan by the death
of her mother, and went to Indiana, making her home in Jennings
County. The COURTER family numbered seven children, five sons
and two daughters, but Mrs. JOHNSON and a brother, Jahiel, who
is now a resident of Davis County, Mo., are all that are now
left of that once large family.
- In May, 1840, Daniel JOHNSON and his young bride returned
to Wisconsin, his parents
- accompanying them, and on the 15th day of June, of that year,
they entered a claim in the town of Union, Rock County. Soon
after arriving at their new home, our subject was employed by
Gen. WORTH as teamster to assist in removing the Winnebago Indians
to Prairie du Chien, preparatory to again removing them to their
reservation West of the Mississippi River, from which they had
returned. This labor being accomplished, Mr. JOHNSON spent the
summer season in haying and harvesting on Rock Prairie, Walworth
County, in order to secure subsistence for the family during
the coming winter, as all the money had been used and they were
still in debt for the expenses incurred in moving. In December,
1840, he erected his first home, a log cabin, upon his claim.
Not a sawed board was used in the construction of the cabin,
neither nails or glass. There Mr. JOHNSON made a homestead, increasing
his farm until it comprised 200 acres, and also purchased his
father's farm, adjoining his own, when the latter had reached
an advanced age.
- David JOHNSON and his wife were the parents of ten children,
six of whom, two sons and four
- daughters attained to mature years, while two sons and two
daughters are yet living in 1889. Those who grew to manhood and
womanhood were Jane, who married John ADAMS, who removed to Mitchell
County, Iowa, where her death occurred a number of years ago;
Daniel, of this sketch; Louisa, who became the wife of Oliver
MARTELL, and died in what is now Adams County, Wis., in July,
1855, leaving three children, a daughter and two sons, one of
whom, David MARTELL, was a railroad conductor and was a victim
of the Newhall House disaster in Milwaukee, a few years since;
Maria is the wife of James H. ELWOOD, a farmer of Union Township;
Reuben is residing in Evansville, Wis.; and Maggie is now the
wife of Jugh JEHU, of Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa. She was
the only one of the family born in Wisconsin.
- David JOHNSON was one of the earliest pioneer settlers of
Rock County and was a worthy and
- esteemed citizen and an upright, honest man. He never aspired
to prominence in any direction, but rather preferred to pursue
the even tenor of his way, content with the quiet life of the
farmer. In his earlier years he was a Whig in politics, but later,
advocating strong anti-slavery sentiments, joined the Republican
party and was a faithful adherent to that great political organization.
For many years he was a consistent member of the United Brethren
Church, and it was his daily endeavor to live in harmony with
his profession. He died March 19, 1877, at the ripe old age of
eighty-one years, and left behind him a name of which the children
may well be proud. His wife was born Sept. 8, 1800, is now in
her eighty-ninth year, and possess remarkable vitality for one
of such advanced age. She was a faithful companion of her worthy
husband, and her virtues and excellent traits of character have
gained for her the love of all. She received a liberal education
in her girlhood days and in early life engaged in teaching for
a number of years. She lost her eyesight several years ago, occasioned
by an attack of measles, but her industrious habits of former
years still cling to her and she is often busy with her knitting.
- By the union of Daniel JOHNSON and his wife, five children
were born, but only two are living -
- William H. H., who was born in 1842, and now resides in Evansville;
and David M., who was born in 1844, and now owns and occupies
the old homestead in the town of Union, where his birth occurred.
Two children of the family died in infancy, and Hannah, the first
born, died at the age of eleven years.
- In 1863, Mr. JOHNSON retired from the active duties of farming
and removed to Evansville.
- During his long residence in Rock county he has been frequently
called by the ballot of his fellow-citizens to offices of honor
and trust, and has ever discharged the duties incident to the
various positions with ability and fidelity. He was elected to
the General Assembly of Wisconsin, in 1865, served as Sheriff
of Rock County in 1869 and 1870, during which time he was a resident
of Janesville, for seventeen years filled the office of County
Supervisor, and for seven years was chairman of that body. In
his political view he is a Republican. He cast his first Presidential
vote for Gen. Zachary Taylor in 1848, and like his father, belonged
to the anti-slavery branch of the old Whig party, and when the
Republican party was organized joined its ranks. He attended
the meeting at Madison where the Republican party was organized
in the State of Wisconsin, and assisted in affecting the organization.
Both Mr. and Mrs. JOHNSON are communicants of the Episcopal Church.
Together they have journeyed through life for the long period
of fifty years, nearly all of which has been spent in Rock County.
As we have seen, Mr. JOHNSON began life a poor boy, but by industry
and good management on the part of himself and wife has long
since acquired a competence. Their children are well situated
in life, and the parents are now passing their declining years
in comfort and independence in their pleasant home in Evansville.
Since retiring from the more active duties of the world, they
have spent much time in traveling, and have visited every State
in the Union, except Oregon. They spent one winter in Florida,
have visited the famous Yosemite Valley, and many other places
of interest throughout the country. Mr. JOHNSON has been connected
with the Masonic Order for many years, and is now a member of
the Union Lodge No.32, Evansville Chapter R.A.M. No. 35, and
Janesville Commandery.
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- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 229-231; lithographs from
same book.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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