BIOGRAPHY OF RANSEL JOHNSON, HARRISON CO,
WEST VIRGINIA

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Submitted by Valerie Crook
(vfcrook@earthlink.net)


The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
pg. 584
Harrison

RANSEL JOHNSON, one of the influential citizens and
successful business men of Clarksburg, Harrison County, was
born on a farm on Shinn's Run, this county, June 6, 1865,
and is a son of Ransel and Elizabeth (Richardson) Johnson,
the former of whom was born in Loudoun County, Virginia,
in 1829, and the latter in dark County, that state, in 1824.
Soon after their marriage the parents came to what is now
West Virginia and settled on a farm on Coons Run, removal
later being made to the farm on Shinn's Run, where the father
became one of the energetic and successful exponents of farm
industry in the county and a leader in community affairs.
He and his wife were life-long members of the Baptist Church,
of which he was a most generous and liberal supporter, and
in his honor the Johnson Baptist Church of his community
was named. He was one of the organizers of this church,
aided liberally in the erection of the church building, and
was for many years one of the strong pillars of the church.
His death occurred in 1885, and his widow passed away
in 1906, venerable in years and loved by those who had
come within the sphere of her influence. Of their children
the following named attained to adult age: Athela J., Wes-
ley R. (now deceased), Samantha, Roberta, Zorada (deceased),
Turner A. and Ransel, Jr. Both the Johnson and Richard-
son families were founded in Virginia in the Colonial days,
and representatives of both were patriot soldiers in the war
of the Revolution. Joseph Johnson, grandfather of the sub-
ject of this review, eventually followed his son to Harrison
County, and here he passed the remainder of his life.

Ransel Johnson (II), immediate subject of this review,
was reared on the home farm, and that he profited by his
early educational advantages, those of the public schools of
the period, is shown by the fact that as a young man he be-
came a successful teacher in the schools of his home county,
he having advanced bis own education by attending, for three
years, the State Normal School at Fairmont. Upon the
death of his father in 1885 he became administrator of the
family estate, and after the old homestead farm had been
sold he purchased a small tract of land near Clarksburg.
There he maintained his residence from 1889 to 1901, in
which latter year he moved to Clarksburg, where for a time
he was in the employ of the Stout Lumber Company. He
finally purchased the retail end of the business, which was
thereafter continued under the title of the Stout-Johnson
Lumber Company until 1907, when he sold his interest and
engaged independently in the wholesale lumber trade. In
1912 the Johnson-Garrett Lumber Company was formed,
and it continued a successful wholesale and retail business
until 1915, when Mr. Johnson became the sole owner. He
continued operations successfully, but in August, 1920, in
consonance with his judgment concerning business conditions
in general, he began to restrict his business, which is now
confined to minor wholesale dealings. He gives the major
part of his attention at present to stocks and investments.
Mr. Johnson has achieved substantial financial success and a
reputation as a fair, honorable and progressive business man
and loyal and public-spirited citizen. He has been a director
of the Farmers Bank of Clarksburg from the time of its
organization.

Mr. Johnson and his wife are zealous members of the
Baptist Church, with which he united in his early youth, and
while residing on the farm he served as deacon of the local
church of this denomination. Politically he chooses to vote
for the candidate who in his judgment is the one best fitted
for office. Yet he leans strongly to democratic party policies.
He has been for many years affiliated with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows.

The year 1896 recorded the marriage of Mr. Johnson and
Miss Annie B. Goodwin, daughter of Peter I. Goodwin, a
well known citizen of Harrison County. The two children
of this union are Paul and Mary, and both are members of
the Baptist Church.