Born near Brownsville, Penn on January 23, 1822, and was but one year old when the family moved to Stark County, Ohio, at that time the frontier of civilization. He was married to Mary L Spears on the first of May 1851 and to their union was born 3 daughters and 1 son. Two of the daughters are dead, one, Flora D Potter, being buried in Ohio and the other, Stella Johnson in Iowa. The other daughter is Mrs. India L Walker of Atkinson and the son is James K Johnson of San Francisco. Colonel Johnson's life was one of remarkable activity and usefulness, marked with substation of services both public and private. In early life he secured an academic education and afterwards taught school in Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, using the money thus earned to pay expenses while studying law in the office of his uncle in the town of California, Pennsylvania. When the war broke out he closed his law office to become lieutenant Colonel of the 111th Ohio Infantry. Also during this period he was a conductor on the famous Underground Railroad, running from Louisville to Cleveland, and many a poor black man owes life and freedom to Col. Johnson and his friends. At the close of the war he followed the tide of emigration westward and helped to lay out the town site of Marshalltown, Iowa, and served as its mayor. He served as representative from Marshall County and was later nominated for governor, but was defeated on account of his temperance sentiments. He was an ardent advocate of temperance and made fifty eight speeches on that subject during one campaign in Iowa. He possessed a remarkable oratorical talent, and was much sought for on special occasions, having delivered fifty six Fourth of July orations during his life time, and shortly before his death he said he only wished to live to deliver four more to make it an even sixty. An idea of Col. Johnson's span of life, his experiences and his consequent powers of interesting retrospection may be had from the simple fact, as stated by him, that he saw the hole dug and the first telegraph pole erected on the continent. Mr. Johnson was reared among the Quakers and their teachings made a powerful impression on him. Throughout his life he was foremost in active philanthropy and his acts of generosity would fill a volume, and yet, before death he said that he had been paid three found for every kind act he ever performed. He moved with his family to Holt County in July 1883 and had been a resident here ever since, active in all things tending to the good of the greatest number, and respected and esteemed by all. He was postmaster and although nearly 82 years old was an active real estate dealer up to the time of his last sickness which resulted in death, March 2, 1903.