Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of ANDREW EMERSON JOHNSON This biography was submitted by Sandy Spradling, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm History of Greenbrier County J. R. Cole Lewisburg, WV 1917 p. 251-253 ANDREW EMERSON JOHNSON. Andrew Emerson Johnson was born December 11, 1861, the sixth child of Thomas John and Minerva (Hinchman) Johnson, his wife. Thomas Johnson was of Scotch-Irish descent on his father's side, eldest son of Barnabas Johnson and grandson of Robert Johnson, who migrated from the north of Ireland into the Colony of Virginia in 1767, settling first in Augusta county, and later permanently in what is now Monroe county, in the present State of West Virginia. Settling on the headwaters of Wolf creek, Robert Johnson possessed himself of a tract of good land, built himself a block house as refuge for himself and his neigh-bors, became the man of his neighborhood. He and his wife, Kate Dorne, became the parents of thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters. The names of the sons were Jacob, Barnabas, William, Samuel, Robert, Caleb and James. Four of these migrated to the West. All of these sons became men of substance and character, worthy of their sturdy parentage. Barnabas, the grandfather of A. E. Johnson, was a man of the highest character and of fine business abilities, accumulating unusual wealth, notwithstanding physical maladies which harassed him during the whole of a long life. Thomas, the eldest son of Barnabas, and the father of A. E. Johnson, was also a man of the highest integrity and a successful farmer and grazier of large means. Minerva Hinchman, mother of A. E. Johnson, was a woman of the firmest Christian character and of unusual intelligence. Her mother, who has been called the "smartest woman in the Greenbrier valley," a woman of fine character and great intellect, was of Scotch-Irish and Huguenot descent, having been born to her parents, William Sims and his wife Margaret (Machet) Sims, but two years after their immigration into what is now Monroe county, West Virginia, from the county Antrim in Ireland. On her father's side, Minerva Hinchman was of English, Hugnenot and Dutch stock, being a lineal descendant of Capt. Billy Vincent and Rosa Bumgardner, his wife. The Hinchmans, Minerva Hinchman's own generation and the preceding ones, were sturdy, resourceful, achieving people. Thomas and Minerva Hinchman Johnson became the parents of seven children, as follow: Cornelia Agnes, who married George H. Lewis; Sarah Amanda, who married Dr. B. F. Irons: Wellington Barnabas, John William, Thomas Cary, Andrew Emerson and Mary E. A. E. Johnson was educated at Hampden-Sidney College, Virginia, and spent his early manhood in Monroe county. Later he bought the James Mann farm in Greenhrier county, near Fort Spring, and there made his home. Endowed with a superior mind, discriminating judgment and indomitable energy, he becanie one of the most successful farmers in West Virginia. He was a man of progressive ideas as well as large information, and active in every organization for the betterment of the agricultural and pastoral industries. As a banker Mr. Johnson was prominent, and in other business enterprises an organizer and leader. He was a member of the Presbyterian church and one of its most liberal supporters and faithful workers. At the time of his death he was president of the Bank of Greenbrier, at Lewisburg; president of the Ronceverte Ice and Storage Company; president of the Farmers' Home Insurance Company; member of the auditing committee of the Farmers' Banking Company of Union; president of the board of directors of the Lewisburg Female Institute; member of the Greenbrier Presbyterian committee on home missions; chairman of the Laymen's Missionary Movement in Greenbrier Presbytery; ruling elder in Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church and teacher of the Young Men's Bible Class (faithful and regular in his attendance and a capable teacher) He was a good neighbor and kind friend, the head of a Christian home and a devoted husband and father. He died at his home near Fort Springs, December 1, 1915. On October 20, 1885, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Cora H. Alexander, of McDowell, Highland county, Virginia. She survives him with six children: Robert S., A. Emerson, Jr., Thomas S., Henrietta E., Anna D. and Eva A. Miss Anna is preparing herself for a career of trained nurse in Philadelphia. One daughter, Edith, preceded him to the grave. He is survived also by three brothers: Wellington, of Fort Spring; John W., of Alderson, and Rev. Dr. T. C. Johnson, professor of Theology in Union Seminary, Richmond, Va., and two sisters: Mrs. Amanda Irons, of Pickaway, Monroe county, and Mrs. Henry Lewis, of Greenbrier county.