BIOGRAPHY: Robert Johnston; Newburgh, Orange co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

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Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

ROBERT JOHNSTON is a shrewd and progressive business man of Newburgh, and
is the proprietor of a large hardware establishment, in which may also be
found a varied assortment of sporting goods. A young man of superior business
ability and pleasing address, he ranks high among the substantial residents of
the city. He is an enthusiastic dog-fancier, and one of the best judges of
these animals in the county.

William C. Johnston, the father of our subject, was born in the Old Country,
in 1833, and came to Newburgh when a boy. He is one of the oldest and most
prominent business men of this city, and his large harness and saddlery
establishment, which was opened in 1857, is located at No. 107 Water Street.
There he displays a large stock of goods. and is well known to the people of
this locality as a reliable business man. He was married, in 1853, to Miss
Margaret L. Campbell, a native of Newburgh, but who died in November, 1882.

The subject of this sketch is a native of this city, and was horn March 4,
1865. After graduating from the academy here he took a course in Eastman's
Business College, and then secured a position as bookkeeper with Charles J.
Lawson. After remaining in his employ for five years, he resigned in order to
go into business for himself, which he did in 1891, opening a hardware and
sporting-goods establishment at No. 104 Water Street. The building which he
occupies comprises three stories and a basement, the latter being used for
storing goods, while the first three floors are devoted to his retail trade.
His place is headquarters for all kinds of both heavy and shelf hardware, and
besides the sporting goods he carries a large line of agricultural implements.

Mr. Johnston is a member of the City Club, also of the Newburgh Gun and the
Newburgh Canoe Clubs. He is an ardent Republican in politics, and an
influential member of the Republican Club of the city of New York. He has
rep-resented his party on numerous occasions as delegate to its various
conventions, and takes great interest in its recent success. Practical and
strictly upright in all his dealings with his fellow-men, he is one of the
most popular young men in the city.