BIO: John T. JOHNSON, Centre County, Pennsylvania

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the 
Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing 
Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. 
Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898.
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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, page 112

JOHN T. JOHNSTON, late a venerable citizen of Bellefonte, Centre county, in 
the public affairs of which city he figured prominently for upward of a third 
of a century, and who at the time of his death was chief clerk in the 
Department of Internal Affairs at Harrisburg, Penn., was a native of Centre 
county, born in the village of Pine Grove Mills, October 20, 1829.
  John and Charlotte Johnston, his parents, were natives of Pennsylvania, 
born, the former on November 12, 1790, and the latter on February 14, 1801. 
To them were born five children, of whom our subject was the youngest. The 
parents during the latter's infancy moved to the headwaters of Spruce creek, 
now known as Rock Springs, where the mother died July 9, 1832. About 1835 the 
father moved to Bellefonte, where he engaged in the mercantile business, in 
which he continued until his death, which occurred October 13, 1839.
  John T. Johnston received his education at the common schools and academy 
at Bellefonte. His mother dying when he was but an infant, and his father 
when he was ten years of age, he was thus left an orphan early in boyhood to 
begin alone the battle of life, the greater part of which struggle took place 
in Bellefonte, where, later, his victories were achieved, and where his every 
vote had been cast. At the age of fifteen he entered the office of the 
Democratic Whig, then published by John K. Shoemaker, for the purpose of 
learning the art of printing, and in the spring of 1851 he became a partner 
with Mr. Shoemaker in the publication of that paper. He entered politics as a 
Whig, and was the last chairman that that party ever had in Centre county. 
During the years of 1854-55, he took an active part with the American or 
Know-nothing party, and in 1856 espoused the cause of the Republican party, 
advocating through the columns of his paper the election of Fremont and 
Dayton, the first candidates of that party for President and Vice-President, 
respectively, of the United States. He was chosen chairman of the Republican 
Committee of the county eight times, and was also very active, zealous and 
consistent in the support of the principles of his party, and its candidates, 
although he never "hunted with a brass band." In the winter of 1855 he was 
appointed to a clerkship in the State Department at Harrisburg, under the 
administration of Gov. James Pollock. After serving several months he 
resigned and returned to Bellefonte, when he took sole charge of the Whig, 
which he continued to publish until June, 1858. He was clerk to the town 
council of Bellefonte for a number of years, and was president of the school 
board two years. During the years 1859-60 he served as clerk to the 
commissioners of the county, and in the fall of the latter year was elected 
prothonotary, being the first and only Republican ever chosen to that office 
in the county. During the session of 1866 he served as a transcribing clerk 
in the Senate at Harrisburg, and in the years 1867-68 he filled the position 
of chief clerk in the Internal Revenue office of the then Eighteenth District 
of Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1869 he was appointed postmaster at 
Bellefonte, and served in that capacity until July 1, 1885 - a period of over 
sixteen years. In May, 1887, he was appointed railroad clerk in the 
Department of Internal Affairs at Harrisburg, and entered upon the duties of 
that position on June 1 of that year. One of the Bellefonte papers, referring 
to the death of Mr. Johnston, said: "In all the different positions of honor 
and emolument held by Mr. Johnston, covering more than a third of a century, 
it can be truthfully stated that he performed his whole duty intelligently, 
honestly, faithfully and well. He could always be relied upon, was never 
weighed in the balance and found wanting."
  On February 19, 1852, our subject was married to Miss Mary A. McKinney, a 
most estimable lady, who was a resident of Bellefonte, and although at times 
she and her husband were called upon to bear their share of the vicissitudes 
of life - its afflictions and sorrows - their union proved an entirely happy 
one. Six children were born to this marriage; namely: Edward C., who died 
when four years of age; Augustus C., who died in infancy; Eliza F., who is 
now Mrs. Roland Kelly, of Beaver Falls, Penn.; Finley E., who married Kate 
Kellond, resides at Hastings, Mich., and has two children - Edward and Lida 
M.; George B.. who married Lillie Aikens, resides at Beaver Falls, Penn., and 
has two children - Jennette A. and Mary Ann; and Harry E., an electrician, 
who married Sadie J. Walker, of Bellefonte, who died June 19, 1897.
  Mrs. Johnson, the widow of our subject, is the daughter of Samuel and Eliza 
(Flack) McKinney, and was born at Bellefonte, Penn., her father being of 
Scotch descent and her mother of Irish parentage. The mother died at the home 
of. Mrs. Johnston in Bellefonte in 1885, the father having died when Mrs. 
Johnston was a child of ten years. He left four children, namely: Nancy J. 
married Edward McBride, and died at Jamestown, N. Y.. leaving seven children; 
John is a farmer, married, has four children, and resides in Texas; Samuel, a 
tailor by trade, died at Altoona unmarried; and Mrs. Johnston, who was the 
second child in the order of birth.