Biographical Sketch of Joseph H. JOHNSON (1893); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris <jMcDmorris@comcast.net>.

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Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl-
vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley
and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadel-
phia, PA, 1893, pp. 386-390.

"JOSEPH H. JOHNSON, a real estate dealer and justice of the peace at Downing-
town, who has served as county surveyor of Chester county, and occupied a
number of other positions of responsibility and trust, is the youngest son
of John and Elizabeth K. (Meredith) Johnson, and was born April 4, 1848, in
Wallace township, Chester county, Pennsylvania.  The Johnsons are of Welsh
descent, the family being founded in America by William Johnson (great-
grandfather), who came from Wales about 1760, and settled in Chester county,
on the farm in East Brandywine township now owned by G. R. North.  There he
lived until his death, which occurred in 1811.  He was buried in the old
church yard at Brandywine Manor.

"Among his sons was John Johnson (grandfather), who was born in East Brandy-
wine township in 1766, where he lived all his life, dying June 30, 1836.
His remains also lie entombed at Brandywine Manor cemetery.  He was a promi-
nent farmer, who adhered to the Whig party in politics, and in religion was
a strict Presbyterian.  In 1792 he married Dorathy (sic) Kennedy, and
reared a family of two sons and five daughters: Robert, John, Mary, who
married James McGuyon; Nancy, who became the wife of Henry Lewis; Jane,
wedded David Baum; Elizabeth, married James Arters; and Margaret, died at
the age of twelve years.

"John Johnson (father) was born on the old homestead, in Wallace township,
this county, April 17th, 1808, where he spent his entire life, and where he
died June 18, 1884.  He owned one hundred and twenty-five acres of land,
and became prosperous.  Politically he was a republican, but took little
part in politics, and in religion he leaned toward the Friends, and his
wife was a member of that religious body.  On November 10, 1831, he married
Elizabeth K. Meredith, a native of Chester county, and to them was born a
family of six children, five sons and a daughter, viz.: Robert, a prosperous
farmer of Long's Corner, West Nantmeal township, who married Mary A. Harlan;
John, who married Harriet Lukins, and now owns and lives on the old homestead
in Wallace township; Isaiah, who wedded Phoebe S> Roberts, and is engaged
in farming in Oakland county, Michigan; Hannah, married Baldwin Hughs, a
farmer of East Brandywine township, this county; William H., who enlisted
in Co. A, 124th Pennsylvania infantry, at West Chester, August 4, 1862, and
took part as a raw recruit in the terrible struggle at Antietam, and died
from typhoid fever brought on by exposure, October 18, a little over two
months after his enlistment; and Joseph H., the subject of this sketch.

"Joseph H. Johnson was reared on the home farm in Wallace township, and
attended the common schools of his neighborhood, laying the foundation of
the fine practical education he afterward acquired.  He subsequently took a
course of training in the academy at Fallston, Harford county, Maryland, in
which institution he taught Mathematics one year, then returning to Chester
county in 1866, he engaged in teaching in the public schools of the county,
where he taught successfully for a period of some seven years.

"December 28, 1869, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Laura A. Harlan,
youngest daughter of William A. and Sarah Harlan, of Livonia county, Michi-
gan.  They have three children living, one daughter, Marion S., and two
sons, G. Curtiss and Wilmer C.

"In the winter of 1873, he purchased the Matthew Stanley farm, now owned by
Hon. Matthew Stanley Quay, in West Brandywine township, to which he removed
in the following spring, and for three years he prosecuted the business of
farming successfully.  His neighbors in West Brandywine township were not
slow in discovering Mr. Johnson's business qualifications, and at the end
of the first year's residence with them they elected him to the office of
justice of the peace, which office he filled acceptably until his removal
from the township, which took place in the spring of 1877, at which time he
sold his farm, making a neat little sum on the transaction, and removed to
Downingtown, where he has since resided.

"The summer of 1877 was spent by Mr. Johnson traveling in the west, taking
his wife with him for a visit to her people, and coming home in the fall.
Shortly after his return a vacancy occurred in the grammar department of the
Downingtown public school, and upon the solicitation of the directors he
accepted the position and again taught until the following spring, when he
engaged in the manufacture of paint, operating what became known as the
Excelsior Paint Works, successfully, for some five years.  Shortly after Mr.
Johnson's removal to Downingtown, he was elected borough surveyor, to which
position he was annually re-elected thereafter for fourteen consecutive
years.  In 1884 he was elected county surveyor, which office he served for
the term of three years.  In 1882 he was elected justice of the peace for
the borough of Downingtown, which position he has held ever since, and is
now serving his fourth in that important position - one term in the township
of West Brandywine and three in the borough of Downingtown.

"Mr. Johnson soon found that the duties of his office were absorbing so much
of his time that he considered it advisable to give up the paint business,
which he did, and for the last ten years he has devoted his time exclusively
to the duties of his office, and to surveying, conveyancing, real estate
and insurance; he has also settled a number of important estates, and prose-
cuted successfully quite a number of pension claims.  His business abilities
are demonstrated by the fact that his business has been successful and con-
stantly increasing, until latterly he has been compelled to call to his aid
the constant service of a stenographer.  He has been closely identified with
the business interests of his town ever since his residence therein, ever
active and aggressive in vigorously pushing to a successful completion that
of which his conscience approved.

"He was largely instrumental in organizing the present Building and Loan
association, which has done a great deal for the advancement of Downingtown,
having served as its secretary ever since its organization.  He is first
vice president of the board of trade of the town, and a chairman of one of
its important committees.

"He has been an important factor in improving Downingtown real estate,
having built a number of houses, some of which he has sold to customers on
easy terms, and in one of which he now resides on the main street of the
town adjacent to his office.  He is treasurer of the Downingtown Improvement
Company; this is a corporation recently chartered, and is already engaged in
the erection of a building, which, when completed, will be the finest build-
ing in town; judging from the character of the live men that are at the head
of this concern, and the start they are already making, this corporation
will bring in a new era for Downingtown.

"Politically Mr. Johnson is a stanch republican, and an earnest worker for
the success of his party and the promulgation of its principles; he is a
local leader of recognized ability, and is now serving his fifth term as a
member of the republican county committee, and has been honored by his
party in being called upon to preside at their deliberations in county
conventions.

"In religion he is a Baptist, and one of the trustees of the Downingtown
Baptist church.  He was very active as a member of the building committee
in the erection of the new church edifice, and he, in connection with his
wife, did some very effective work as members of the finance committee, in
the paying off of the debt of the church.  He also takes a great interest in
Sunday school work, teaching regularly every Sunday two large adult Bible
classes, one at his own church in the forenoon, and one at a mission school,
held in the afternoon, at the Brandywine Baptist church.

"He is a member of the Alert Fire Company, No. 1, of Downingtown, Pennsyl-
vania, and is ever active in the promulgation of such measures as are for
the best interest of the company, and it was he who originated the idea and
prepared the petition that led to the borough purchasing the splendid equip-
ment that the company now enjoys.

"He is also a past grand of Brandywine Lodge, No. 388, of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and is now serving the order as chaplain.

"To sum up the case in one brief terse sentence, the subject of this sketch
is one of Downingtown's successful, live, wide awake, busy men, who believes
in the motto 'That it is better to wear out than to rust out.'