Wasco County OR Archives Biographies.....Johnston, George William January 11, 1859 - 
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Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 116-119
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

      GEORGE W. JOHNSTON, pioneer merchant and banker of Dufur, was born in 
Centerville, New Brunswick, January 11, 1859. His parents were James and Amy 
(Cogswell) Johnston, the latter a native of Nova Scotia while on his father's 
side the family lineage reverts to northern Ireland, the parents of James 
Johnston having resided in Enniskillen, that country. Of eleven children born 
to James and Amy Johnston, nine survive. They are T. H. and J. H. of Portland; 
J. C. and G. W. of Dufur; Mrs. Mary Briggs, Mrs. Annie McClintock, Mrs. Sophia 
Estebrook, Mrs. Clara Gallagher and Mrs. Rose Clarke, all of whom now reside 
in Canada.

     In 1878, when a young man of nineteen, Mr. Johnston took Horace Greeley's 
advice to "go west." After a brief stay in Kansas he came to The Dalles, 
Oregon, where for five years he was in the employ of the Oregon Railroad and 
Navigation Company. In 1884 he came to Dufur and with his brothers T. H. and 
J. C., opened a general merchandise store. In 1904 this business was 
incorporated under the name of Johnstons' Inc. and is still one of the 
progressive mercantile institutions of the city. In 1904 Johnston Brothers 
also established a bank in Dufur which has always served the community's 
financial interests in efficient and judicious manner and, as a result, enjoys 
the utmost confidence of not only its patrons but of the banking interests of 
the state as well. George W. Johnston is president of the institution. Mr. 
Johnston is also a practical agriculturist, owning several highly developed 
farms and fruit ranches. He is an ardent booster for the dairying industry in 
the valley and maintains a small herd of high-grade cows.

     Mr. Johnston was married September 23, 1888, in Salem, Oregon, to Mary E. 
Reed, a native of Michigan and daughter of Robert B. and Sarah J. (Davis) 
Reed. In the early '50s Mr. Reed came to Oregon where for a number of years he 
was employed at The Dalles as agent for the Wells Fargo Express Company. He 
also served as county clerk of Wasco. His death occurred in 1888, Mrs. Reed 
dying the following year.

     In 1889 Mr. Johnston was elected to represent Wasco county in the general 
assembly of Oregon in which capacity he served for two years. During this 
service he enjoyed the distinction of being the youngest member of the House. 
He has served as mayor of Dufur, was clerk of the school board for 21 years, 
is a past president of the Old Wasco County Pioneers' association and at the 
present time is chairman of the Dufur City Water commission. For 47 years he 
has been connected with the Knights of Pythias, is a Knight Templar, a Noble 
of Al Kader Temple of the Mystic Shrine and a charter member and past master 
of Morris lodge No. 129, A. F. & A. M., Dufur, Oregon.

     Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are closely identified with Dufur's social and 
church activities and are ardent workers in all matters of civic interest 
tending to the upbuilding of the community.

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