JOHNSTON BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri
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JOHNSTON, William W. - b: 1865 Dayton, Cass Co, MO
source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - 
page: 688
residence: Big Creek Twp

William W. Johnston, president of the Farmers Bank of Blairstown, was born at 
Dayton, Cass County, Missouri, February 2, 1865. He is the son of George and 
Nancy (Hendon) Johnston. George Johnston, his father, was born in Kentucky and 
migrated from his native State to Cass County, Missouri, in the forties. He 
resided in Cass County until 1872, at which time he went to Cedar County, 
Missouri. In his later years he removed to a home in California and died at Long 
Beach in 1908. George and Nancy Johnston were parents of the following children: 
Anna Lynn, deceased; LeRoy L. Johnston, Pleasant View, Cedar County, Missouri; 
W. W., subject of this sketch; Samuel, living in Idaho; Mrs. Nettie Phipps, Long 
Beach, California; Mrs. George Folk, Stockton, Missouri. W. W. Johnston was 
educated in Cedar County, attending the Pleasant View school house when Charles 
Stewart was the teacher. When fifteen years old he left home to adventure upon 
unknown paths, as he says: "All I had when I left the home was a straw hat and a 
pair of overalls." He came to Big Creek township, Henry County, and worked as a 
farm hand for Pleasant Webster for a wage of $12 per month. For a period of ten 
years he worked as farm laborer in this vicinity and in the meantime purchased 
his first farm of eighty acres and later purchased a farm consisting of 105 acres 
from Doctor Noble of Urich. Mr. Johnston has succeeded during the years that have 
passed and has accumulated a splendid farm of 455 acres, and other land. He 
owns Kansas City property, consisting of a six apartment flat and a five room 
cottage and a gents furnishing store located in Jamestown, Missouri; also a 
considerable amount of personal property, all of which property is clear and free 
from debt. The Johnston residence is located four miles southwest of Blairstown 
and the place upon which it is situated was purchased in 1910. There are two 
sets of improvements upon the Johnston land, all of which are kept in a good 
state of repair. Mr. Johnston is an extensive stockman and feeder of live stock 
and specializes in white face Hereford cattle, of which breed he has forty-five 
head of high grade stock on his place. His herd leader is a pure bred registered 
male. He also has forty Hereford calves. One hundred head of well fed cattle has 
been the yearly output of the Johnston farm, and he also ships about a carload of 
Poland China hogs annually. The farm is well watered and finely adapted for 
stock raising. Mr. Johnston was married on January 11, 1893, to Margaret J. 
Lotspiech, a daughter of John and Caroline Lotspiech of Bogard township. John 
Lotspiech was a soldier in the Confederate Army and located in Bogard township 
after the close of the war. He married Caroline Potts of Big Creek township, who 
came to Henry County with her parents, Absalom and Susan (Wall) Potts, natives 
of North Carolina. The Potts family came to this county in 1839 and were among 
the earliest of the pioneer settlers of Big Creek township. The father of Mrs. 
Susan (Wall) Potts entered several thousand acres of Government land here and 
owned over one hundred slaves which he brought from the plantation in North 
Carolina. Mr. Johnston is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks and is one of the leaders of the Democratic party in Henry County. For the 
past four years he has been central committeeman for Bogard township. He was 
one of the organizers and a charter member of the Farmers Bank of Blairstown 
and has served as president of this flourishing bank since its first organization.

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