BIO:  John P. JOHNS, Adams County, PA

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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania
Chicago:  Warner, Beers & Co., 1886
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Part III, History of Adams County, Page 391

JOHN P. JOHNS, stockman, McSherrtystown.  John Johns, a Quaker, and a native of 
Wales, immigrated to America with William Penn.  The Johns settled in Lancaster 
County, Penn., and there were several children in the family at the time, of 
whom John Johns, Jr., was then twelve years old.  He, John Johns, Jr., married 
and had six children-three sons and three daughters; he and his wife died on the 
old homestead in Lancaster County, Penn.  Their son, John, married Elizabeth, 
daughter of Peter Miller, and they also died in Lancaster County and are buried 
in the Johns’ Cemetery.  John and Elizabeth Johns had seven children-five boys 
and two girls.  Of these, John married Elizabeth, daughter of David and Rosannah 
(Schwartz) Melhorn, and had a family of eleven children who attained maturity:  
John H., Eli, M. Matilda, Hattie, David, Jeremiah, Amanda, Elizabeth, Juliann, 
Susannah and George W.  Of these four are still living; all were married except 
M. Matilda, who is now living on the old farm in Conowago Township, this county, 
where her parents came in 1832 after the death of their parents and there died 
also.  All the Johns were farmers.  Of the children of John and Elizabeth, 
Jeremiah married Elizabeth Oister (who survives him and now keeps hotel at 
McSherrystown), and had six children:  John, Jacob, David (deceased), Alice E. 
(deceased), Jeremiah and Samuel.  Jeremiah Johns, Sr., was a farmer and kept 
hotel in McSherrystown, where he died.  Of the children of Jeremiah and 
Elizabeth (Oister) Johns, Jeremiah was married January 29, 1846, to Hannah E. 
Eyster, whose ancestors were of German extraction.  Her grandfather, George 
Daniel Eyster, born June 6, 1757, married Magdalena Schlagle November 14, 1780.  
He was a tanner and farmer, and died near Hunterstown, aged seventy-nine years; 
he had eleven children all of whom are deceased.  One of his sons, Peter Eyster, 
born in Adams County, Penn., died in York County, Penn., aged seventy-one years, 
was a farmer; was twice married, and by his first wife, Elizabeth (Weaver), who 
died at the age of fifty-nine, had eight children:  George D., David (deceased), 
Jacob, William, Elizabeth, Mary M., Sarah A. and Rebecca A. (latter deceased).  
John P. Johns, the subject of this biography, is a son of Jeremiah and Hannah E. 
(Eyster) Johns, born August 15, 1846, in McSherrystown, Penn., where he received 
a common school education.  He farmed until he attained his majority, and then 
engaged in the harness business for several years, after which he bought and 
sold horses.  He commenced on a small scale, but, finding that he was suited to 
the business, soon devoted all his time to it and has been one of the most 
successful men in this line in this part of the county.  His stables are located 
in McSherrystown, Berlin, Adams County and Gallipolis, Ohio.  He buys many 
horses in the West, especially in Ohio, and in the winter buys mules in 
Kentucky.  His sales are generally in Southern Pennsylvania and Maryland, and 
his business transactions last year amounted to $108,000.  Our subject was 
married to Miss Mary, daughter of Egbert Eckert, by whom he has one son, Henry 
Augustus, who was born October 23, 1875.  Mr. and Mrs. Johns are members of the 
Lutheran and Reformed Churches, respectively.  Politically Mr. Johns is a 
Republican.  He is a self-made man in every respect, owing his success to his 
own energy, perseverance and good business principles.