Delos R. Johnson, Washington Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Drios R. Johnson, who is established in the successful practice of his profession at Franklinton as one of the representative members of the bar of Washington Parish, is, in 1924, serving his third consecutive term in the State Senate, and had previously. made a record of excellent service as representative of Washington Parish in the Lower House of the State Legislature. Senator Johnson has thus been signally honored in popular confidence and esteem in his native parish, for he was born on a plantation near Franklinton, April 19, 1879. He is a grandson of Kinza Johnson, who was born in the State of Kentucky, in the year 1804, and whose death occurred on his old homestead plantation twelve miles south of Franklinton, Louisiana, in 1879, the year that marked the birth of his grandson, who figures as the subject of this review. Kinza Johnson was a lad of six years when, in 1810, he accompanied his mother and stepfather on the voyage down the Mississippi River, and settlement was made in Pike County, Mississippi. There he was reared to manhood, and there he continued his association with agricultural industry until 1856, when he came to Washington Parish, Louisiana, and located on the homestead farm which continued to be his place of residence until his death. Andrew J. Johnson, father of him whose name initiates this sketch, was born in Pike County, Mississippi, January 13, 1843, and was thirteen years of age at the time of the family removal to Louisiana, where he was reared to manhood on the old home farm in Washington Parish--a property that he eventually inherited. He long continued as one of the enterprising exponents of farm industry in this parish, but has sold his farm and has lived retired since 1907. He is now a member of the family circle in the home of his son, Delos R., as was also his wife at the time of her death, July 30, 1911, her maiden name having been Caroline Thomas and she having been born in Pike County, Mississippi, in 1850. Mr. Johnson has been a vital figure in the local ranks of the democratic party in past years, and gave many years of service as a member of the police jury of Washington Parish. He is an earnest member of the Baptist Church, as was also his wife, and he was a gallant soldier of the Confederacy during the entire period of the Civil war. In 1861 Mr. Johnson enlisted as a member of the Eighth Louisiana Battalion, and with this command he participated in many engagements, including a number of the major battles of the great conflict, and with his regiment he surrendered, at Gainesville, Alabama, in the period that marked the closing of the war. His interest in and association with his old comrades has been emphasized by his affiliation with the United Confederate Veterans. Jacob K., eldest of the children of Andrew J and Caroline (Thomas) Johnson, resides at Bogalusa, Washington Parish, and is superintendent of the forestry department of the Great Southern Lumber Company, he being a forester of high reputation; Miss Mary J. died in 1921, at the age of forty-six years; Etta J., who became the wife of Hubert C. Bailey, died at Bogalusa November 2, 1912, and Mr. Bailey, who is engaged in the lumber business, now resides in the City of New Orleans; Delos R., the immediate subject of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Andrew P. is engaged in the practice of law at Carrizo Springs, Texas; Alice is the wife of Rev. Theodore W. Gayer, who is now located at Pineville, Louisiana, as pastor of the First Baptist Church: Jess, who is now one of the representative youngest members of the bar of Baton Rouge, capital of Louisiana, was a representative of this state in the nation's military service in the World war, with rank of sergeant-major in the adjutant general's department, and he was in active service in France for a period of eighteen months; Grace is the wife of Rev. William J. Nelson, who is now pastor of the Baptist Church at Eastland, Texas; and Dora Maude is the wife of Adrian I. Wilcombe, assistant postmaster at Hammond, Louisiana. Senator Delos R. Johnson was given the advantages of both public and private schools in his native parish, and in 1899 he was graduated from the Franklinton Central Institute, one of the old established and representative educational institutions of Louisiana. In 1901 he was graduated from the Louisiana State Normal College at Natchitoches. In 1904 he was a student in the law department of the great University of Chicago, and he then transferred to the law department of Tulane University, New Orleans, in which institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1906, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws and with virtually coincident admission to the bar of his native state in June of that year. He has since been established in the general practice of law at Franklinton, judicial center of his native parish, has made a record of successful achievement as a resourceful trial lawyer and well fortified counselor, and is junior member of the representative law firm of Ott & Johnson, with offices in the modern building of the Washington Bank & Trust Company. Senator Johnson has had much of leadership in the councils and campaign activities of the democratic party in this section of the state, and in 1908 he was elected, without opposition, representative of Washington Parish in the Lower House of the State Legislature, an office which he retained until 1916 through re-election in 1912. In 1916 he was elected to the State Senate, as representative of the district comprising Washington, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes. The year 1920 recorded his re-election, an indication of the high popular estimate placed upon his service, and in 1924 he was again elected to the Senate, as representative of the new Twenty-second Senatorial District, comprising Washington and St. Tammany parishes. In both the House and Senate he has served as chairman of the committee on education, and during these long years of continuous service in this connection he has been the author and sponsor of virtually all legislation pertaining to public education in Louisiana. He is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Franklinton. In the Masonic fraternity the ancient craft affiliation of Senator Johnson is with Franklinton Lodge No. 101, A. F. and A. M.; at Bogalusa he has membership in Bogalusa Chapter No. 61, R. A. M., and Palestine Commandery No. 23, Knights Templar and he is affiliated also with the Independent order of Odd Fellows. The Senator is an influential member of the Washington Parish Bar Association and the Twenty-sixth Judicial District Bar Association. He is local attorney for the New Orleans Greater Northern Railroad and the general attorney for the Great Southern Lumber Company. He is the owner of a considerable amount of real estate in Washington Parish, including his attractive home place on Main Street, in South Franklinton. In the World war period Senator Johnson served as food commissioner of Washington Parish and as a member of the legal advisory board of the parish. He made patriotic speeches throughout the parish, and did yeoman service in advancing the sale of Government war bonds, Red Cross service and the work in behalf of the activities of the Y. M. C. A., in which last connection he was chairman of the local committee. March 18, 1913, recorded the marriage of Senator Johnson and Miss Pearl Griffith, daughter of William and Henrietta (Williams) Griffith, both now deceased, the father having been an extensive planter in East Baton Rouge Parish. Mrs. Johnson was graduated from the Louisiana State Normal College at Natchitoches, and also from Belle Haven College at Jackson, Mississippi. She is a gracious and popular figure in the social activities of her home community and also those of Baton Rouge, the capital city. Senator and Mrs. Johnson have two fine little sons, Andrew Griffith, who was born July 9, 1915, and Delos R. Johnson, Jr., born December 23, 1924. A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 144-145, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.