Representative from Humboldt county, was born on the present site of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1856. His parents, John and Jane (Porter) Johnston, were of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He came to Iowa with his parents in the spring 1856. They settled in the vicinity of Springvale (now Humboldt) which locality has since been his home. He was educated in the public schools of Humboldt and Humboldt College. He served as deputy county treasurer for one term, resigning that office in 1883 to enter the banking business which he has since followed. He was for several years chairman of the republican county central committee. He served for a number of years as a director of the State Agricultural Society and closed his term of service with the society by serving two years as vice-president and one year as president. He is a republican in politics and is cashier of the Humboldt State Bank, Humboldt, Iowa, the oldest bank in the county. He was married June 27, 1888, to Mary H. Stoddard. He was elected representative from the seventy-sixth district of Iowa in the fall of 1914. Re-elected in 1916.

Representative from Humboldt county, was born on the present site of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1856. His parents, John and Jane (Porter) Johnston, were of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He came to Iowa with his parents in the spring of 1856. They settled in the vicinity of Springvale (now Humboldt) which locality has since been his home. He was educated in the public schools of Humboldt and Humboldt College. He served as deputy county treasurer for one term, resigning that office in 1883 to enter the banking business which he has since followed. He was for several years chairman of the republican county central committee. He served for a number of years as a director of the State Agricultural Society and closed his term of service with the society by serving two years as vice president and one year as president. He is a republican in politics and is cashier of Humboldt State Bank, Humboldt, Iowa, the oldest bank in the county. He was married June 27, 1888, to Mary H. Stoddard. He was elected representative from the Seventy-sixth district of Iowa in the fall of 1914.