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- DANIEL JOHNSON, retired farmer, Evansville; born in Greene
- Co., Ohio, Nov. 30, 1821, his parents moved from that state
to Steuben, N.Y., in 1816; his father was a soldier of the war
of 1812. Daniel was the second child and the oldest son of a
family of ten children. He received such an education as was
to be obtained in the common schools of Western Ohio. His father
being a farmer, he was taken out of school in the summer time
to help on the farm after he was 8 years old, only attending
school during the winter term of three months until 15. The spring
after he was 15, his father moved with his family to the southeastern
part of Indiana in Jennings Co.; that part of the State was then
heavily timbered and sparsely settled; the few settlers there
were mostly from North Carolina and West Virginia.
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- He settled with his family on a tract of land he purchased
from the Government, covered with
- birch and maple timber; after building a cabin in the woods,
his provisions were exhausted, and he was compelled to go to
a mill about three miles from his place, and, while at the mill,
was induced to purchase the property (including a grist and saw
mill, and some village property). He having always been engaged
in farming and being unacquainted with any other business, and
deceived in the purchase, it effected his financial ruin; and,
in the fall of 1838, he closed up his business, sold the mill
and found that he had sunk every cent that he had and was a poor
man; when he found he had nothing to help his family with, he
gave Daniel his time and told him if he thought he could do anything
for himself he was willing he should make a trial. Chicago, at
this time, had just begun to come into prominence, and the boy
(Daniel) thought there was an opening for him there; so he persuaded
his mother to pack his clothes, and Dec. 12, 1838 (just twelve
days after he was 17 years old), found him on his way to Chicago
on foot, knapsack on his back; he made the trip to Chicago in
ten days - walking the entire way; not finding any employment,
he only stayed there one day, and then started for Wisconsin.
In McHenry Co., Ill., he found the first employment, worked there
one month for which he never received a cent. In the last part
of January, 1839, he found his way to Walworth Co., Wis., with
$4.50 in his pocket, and went to work for Henry PHENIX, of Delavan,
working the balance of the winter and spring for PHENIX and others
in that neighborhood. In June following, he returned to Indiana
for the purpose of persuading his parents to move to Wisconsin,
he having determined to make that State his future home. The
following fall, Nov. 30, 1839, he married Angeline COURTER, and,
in May following, started for Wisconsin, his parents coming with
him; and, June 15, 1840, they took their claim in the town of
Union, Rock Co.; at that time there were but few settlers, west
of Rock River, in the county. After taking his claim, he and
his wife went to Rock Prairie and both worked for the same farmer
through the summer, which they were compelled to do to get food
for the winter, as he had not a cent in the world when he landed
in Wisconsin, and was in debt for his expenses in moving. In
December following, he built a cabin on the farm now occupied
by his youngest son; his first house was built without sawed
boards, nails or glass; he continued to reside on the same farm
until he moved to Evansville in the year 1863, where he now lives.
He has been a member of the County Board of Supervisors for fifteen
years; has held the position of Chairman of the County Board
for five years; has represented the First District of Rock Co.
as member of the Assembly in 1865, and was elected Sheriff of
the county in 1869, serving one term of two years. Has, at different
times since he left the farm, been engaged in various kinds of
business - never finding anything but farming that suited him;
at the present time, although not practically employed on the
farm, he is largely interested in farming, having in one farm
480 acres. He has had five children, one daughter and four sons;
only two are living, the two oldest boys, they are farmers in
the town of Union. His father, who came West with him, died two
years ago, and the mother is still living, and is the mother
of four living generations, herself representing the fifth generation
back.
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- Taken from "The History of Rock County, Wis."
(c)1879, pp. 864-865; lithograph p. 469.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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