Warren County NJ Archives Biographies.....Henry JOHNSTON, 1856 - 1915
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 8, 2008, 6:50 pm

Author: Mary Depue Ogden, Editor  (1917)

JOHNSTON, Henry,
Former Mayor of Washington.

  With the passing of Henry Johnston there closed the life history of a
remarkable man. The keynote of his life was integrity and to that he added an
intensity of purpose, energy, enthusiasm, and deep conviction. Temperamentally
of nervous disposition, he took decided position on all public questions which
arose, and after espousing a cause he threw himself into its advocacy with all
the remarkable energy he possessed. He never occupied middle ground, if a cause
was just and right it should be supported, if it was wrong it should be
condemned and wiped out. That was the principle upon which he conducted his
administration of the mayor's office, and wrongdoers found their path a thorny
one as long as he remained in office. So in his advocacy of the cause of
prohibition. He belived the legalizing of the liquor traffic through license,
high or low, was wrong, and he fought for constitutional prohibition with all
his powers. He personally promoted practically all the local campaigns and his
wonderful energy was put to its hardest test in his support of local, county,
state and national prohibition, for he stopped at nothing less than the complete
outlawry of the liquor traffic.

  Probably Mr. Johnston was more widely known throughout Warren and adjoining
counties for his unceasing labor as an agent of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals. He gave himself to the work of the Society at a personal
sacrifice in money and time, but from the wonderful aggressiveness he displayed
in seeking out and punishing violators of the law in Warren and adjoining
counties it might have been supposed that it was a matter of personal gain
instead of personal sacrifice and loss. There was hardly a week but that he had
a case pending somewhere and it was a matter of public knowledge that he
punished violators of the law wherever he found them, friends and foes faring
alike at his hands.

  He was a descendant of Judge Samuel Johnston, who came to New Jersey from
Scotland, one of the strong men of his day. The line of descent from Judge
Samuel Johnston was through his son, Samuel (2) Johnston, his son, Samuel (3)
Johnston, his son, Joseph Johnston, his son, Philip Johnston, his son, Joseph
Johnston, the well-known hardware dealer of Washington, New Jersey, his son,
Henry Johnston, to whose memory this sketch is dedicated.

  Henry Johnston, son of Joseph and Lydia (Hope) Johnston, was born at Asbury,
Warren county, New Jersey, March 27, 1856, died at his home on East Washington
avenue, Washington, New Jersey, August 30, 1915. Almost his entire life had been
passed in Washington where his father was a leading merchant and founder of the
hardware business later conducted as Joseph Johnston's Sons. After completing
his school years Henry Johnston entered the Johnston hardware store, later
became a member of the firm of Joseph Johnston's Sons and for about fifteen
years was engaged in the hardware business in Washington. He then severed his
connection with the firm and became district agent for Northwestern Mutual Life
Insurance Company, and for a time had an office in the St. Paul Building in New
York City. He became one of the company's most successful district agents, his
territory covering parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, and for a
time necessitated the maintainence of an office in Easton, Pennsylvania. He
continued the active, energetic, successful head of his district until a fall on
an icy pavement in the winter of 1914 which resulted in so severe an injury that
it forever ended his business activity.

  Mr. Johnston from youth was a member of the Presbyterian church, joining at
the age of sixteen years and ever ordering his life from that time forward
according to the teachings of the Master he served. His activity in public
affairs began at almost as early an age, and continued all his active years. In
1882 he was elected a member of Washington's Common Council, and in 1890 was
chosen mayor, running on a no-license ticket. In 1891 he was reelected and
during both terms he strove with all his might for the moral betterment of the
borough. Politically he was an ardent Prohibitionist and the leader of his party
in Warren county, also was potent in state and national councils of the party.
He was chairman of the Warren County Prohibition Committee, and in 1892 was the
nominee of the party for Congress.

  He was vice-president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
was a director of the society and its local agent. His work for dumb animals was
one which will be long remembered and in his death they lost one of their best
friends. So a useful life was passed, spending and being spent. The record of
that life is a noble one, and as shown was filled with earnest effort to help
his fellow-man. In private life he was honorable and upright, very generous and
open-handed, ever ready to contribute to any good cause. He was a tower of
strength to any cause he advocated, and while his intense nature carried him to
extreme lengths in that advocacy, arousing strong opposition, even his opponents
honored him for his open manner of fighting evil and respected his motives. Such
a character as his naturally made enemies, but also attracted the friendship of
all lovers of the right and he numbered a host of warm friends and loyal
supporters. He was a member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics, the
Patriotic Order Sons of America, and of that order which admits both sexes, The
Daughters of Liberty.

  Mr. Johnston married, December n, 1878, Emma E. Dilts, who survives him, her
home the residence on East Washington avenue erected by Mr. Johnston in 1911.
Mrs. Johnston is a daughter of Elijah N. and Margaret (Hoffman) Dilts, of old
Morris and Warren county family. She had no children, but has an adopted son,
Joseph D. Johnston, a practicing dentist of Newark, New Jersey.

(The Dilts Line).

  Emma E. Johnston, wife of Henry Johnston, is a descendant of Daniel Dilts, who
came from Germany during the early part of the eighteenth century and settled in
Hunterdon county, New Jersey, where he resided until his death. He married and
left male issue including a son, Daniel (2) Dilts, born in Hunterdon county in
1741, and there resided a great many years. This Daniel Dilts was very active in
efforts to raise Hunterdon's quota of troops for the Revolutionary army, serving
as recruiting officer and in all possible ways aiding the cause of independence.
He was also a civil officer of the town, serving as constable. In 1802 he moved
to Washington township, Morris county, New Jersey, and there bought a farm of
one hundred and seventeen acres upon which he lived until his death in 1827. He
married Rebecca Marlatt, born in 1750, who survived him, living to the advanced
age of eighty-three years. Daniel and Rebecca Dilts were among the earliest
members of the Methodist Episcopal church in their locality. At that early day
regular places of worship were few and far between, the few settlers gathering
for worship at the home of someone centrally located, and there listened to the
words of the missionary preacher who found his way on horseback from place to
place on his long circuit. The Dilts home was one of the houses where the
itinerant preacher was always made welcome and hospitably entertained, that home
also thrown open to all who would come to the preaching services which were held
there. Daniel and Rebecca Dilts were the parents of: Peter, John, George,
Joseph, Daniel, Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca Dilts.

  Daniel (3) Dilts was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, January 22, 1789,
died July 17, 1867. He purchased the homestead in Morris county of his father in
1812, retaining ownership as long as he lived. He was a man of high character,
prudent in the management of his affiairs, very benevolent and public-spirited,
aiding in all the movements tending to benefit his community. He led a very
quiet, modest life, never seeking office or political preferment, but upright
and honorable, and pursued the even tenor of his way. He accumulated a
competence by industry and judicious management, leaving to his children not
only the record of a well-spent life, but a fair portion of this world's goods.
Like his honored parents, he was a devout Christian and a strong pillar of the
Methodist church. He married Elizabeth Neighbor, born in 1795, died June 29,
1831, daughter of John Neighbor, of Morris county, New Jersey. Children: Nathan,
who resided in Washington, New Jersey; Anna, died unmarried; Elijah N., of
further mention; Rebecca, married Peter S. Bergen, of Somerset county, New
Jersey; Isaiah, who was a prominent lawyer of the Somerset county bar, residing
at Somerville, New Jersey; Abner, who lived on the old homestead at German
Valley, Morris county, where his father also lived and died; George S., a
practicing physician at Raritan, New Jersey, for several years, served four
years in the Union army (1861-65) as surgeon with the rank of major, later
located in Baltimore, Maryland, where he died.

  Elijah N. Dilts, son of Daniel (3) and Elizabeth (Neighbor) Dilts, was born at
the homestead, German Valley, Morris county, New Jersey, February 10, 1818, died
June 14, 1901. He was educated in the district school, and until he was
twenty-eight years of age remained at the homestead. After his marriage he moved
to Washington township, Warren county, New Jersey, and settled on a farm owned
by his father. He began his residence there April 3, 1846, and in 1848 purchased
the farm of his father, and there resided until his death. This farm of one
hundred and forty acres lay so near the town of Washington that it later became
a part of the borough of Washington when it was so incorporated. Mr. Dilts also
became the owner of the homestead farm in Morris county settled by his
grandfather, which he purchased from the heirs of his father's estate. He was a
man of strong convictions with force of character and resolution to carry to
completion whatever he undertook and believed to be right. He devoted his life
almost exclusively to agriculture, never accepting political office although
often importuned. Like his honored father he was a Whig in politics, but after
the formation of the Republican party he ever acted with that organization. Both
he and his wife were devoted Methodists joining that church in 1851, and
contributing liberally of their substance and time.

  Mr. Dilts married, December 11, 1845, Margaret Hoffman, born April 13, 1819,
and died November 20, 1877, daughter of Henry I. Hoffman, of Morris county, New
Jersey. Children: Henry C.; Annie, died at the age of twelve years; Eli, died in
infancy; George W., residing in Washington, New Jersey; Emma E., widow of Henry
Johnston, of Washington, New Jersey; Ella; William G.; Ulysses G.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

MEMORIAL CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY

UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF MARY DEPUE OGDEN

VOLUME III
MEMORIAL HISTORY COMPANY NEWARK,  NEW JERSEY
1917

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