BIO: Joseph JOHNSON, Clearfield County, PA
 
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From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr.,
Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 562 & 565.
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  JOSEPH JOHNSON, a well known business man of Clearfield County, who has been a 
resident of DuBois, Pa., since 1881, is a successful coal operator and one of 
the proprietors of the Rochester Coal Company, in Sandy Township and has 
additional interests.  He was born May 4, 1860, in Huntingdon County, Pa., and 
is a son of Thomas and Rose (McGlone) Johnson.
  Thomas Johnson was born in County Meath, Ireland, and when sixteen years old 
came to America, the only member of his family.  He stopped for short seasons in 
New York, Maryland and Virginia before he reached Pennsylvania, when he settled 
in Huntingdon County and from there, in 1882, came to DuBois, which was then a 
very small place.  He was a man of considerable enterprise as he opened up a 
quarry soon after locating here and later purchased another quarry from 
McCullough & Reed, and also was one of the pioneer coal mine operators.  He was 
well known all through this section and had many friends.  His death occurred in 
June, 1904, at the age of eighty-two years.  He was married in Maryland to Rose 
McGlone, who died in her fifty-fifth year.  They were the parents of twelve 
children, the three survivors of the family being:  Mary, who is the wife of 
Samuel Witt; Joseph, and Patrick J.
  Joseph Johnson had but meager educational advantages, as he began to work in 
the coal mines when he was quite young and mining has been his main business 
ever since.  As he grew older he took charge of his father's interests and when 
the latter died, Mr. Johnson and his brother, Patrick J., associated themselves 
together and continued the business.  In 1907 Joseph Johnson, Patrick J. Johnson 
and Thomas Kurens leased the old Rochester mines in Sandy Township, which they 
are developing, they having proved a profitable investment.  The two Johnsons 
are also operating the Jack McNamarrow stone quarry, which was opened in 1878 
(Johnson Bros. now own it), and they, with F. P. Cummings, are engaged in the 
sewer and brick pavement contracting business.  Mr. Johnson owns his substantial 
residence at No. 25 N. Main Street, DuBois and has other real estate in the 
borough and also in Sandy Township.
  In January, 1907, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Ella Kurens and they have 
one child, Francis Joseph, born April 11, 1910.  They are members of St. 
Catherine's Catholic Church.  Politically he is a Democrat and fraternally he is 
identified with the A. O. H.