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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
of
COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO 1764-1876
by William E. Hunt. -
Publ. Cincinnati - Robert Clarke & Co., Printers
1876
Unless otherwise noted
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CLARK
JOHNS was born in New Castle township, and died in
Coshocton, in his young manhood, June 13, 18663. The
"lot" having designated him for a soldier, he, taking his
privilege, enlisted in one of the companies which had gone
out from Coshocton, where his home and business had been for
some time. He was soon promoted to be lieutenant; was
taken sick, sent home, and died in a few days, on date above
given. He married the daughter of John Burt,
and left her and one child.
Source: HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
of COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO - 1764-1876 by William E. Hunt. -
Publ. Cincinnati - Robert Clarke & Co., Printers -
1876 - Page 257 |
JOHN
JOHNSON was a prominent citizen of Coshocton county
for nearly half a century. He was born in county
Tyrone, Ireland; came to America in 1816, and to Coshocton
about 1820. Under the direction of his stepfather,
James Renfrew, and after the manner of his time, he
learned the tanner's trade. He was a member of the
well-known merchandising and banking firm, W. K. Johnson
& Co. For some years, about 1840, he resided at
Walhonding. He represented Coshocton district in the
upper house of the Legislature, and was also a member of the
lower house in Congress. He was a member of the State
Constitutional Convention 1850-51. His health was not
firm for some years before he died, and on this and other
accounts he was not so much engaged with public affairs in
his later years as in earlier ones. With limited
education, his industry and native shrewdness and caution
enabled him to achieve a considerable degree of business and
political success. He was averse to display, and
believed in "solid" things. He was a devout adherent
of the Presbyterian church, in the faith of which he had
been thoroughly trained. He died Feb. 5, 1867.
His wife was Miss Harriet Humrickhouse, and he died
without issue.
Source: HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS of COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO -
1764-1876 by William E. Hunt. - Publ. Cincinnati - Robert
Clarke & Co., Printers - 1876 - Page 242 |
THOMAS
JOHNSON, by the documentary history of the county,
and the concurrent testimony of survivors, was one of the
most prominent and spirited citizens. He was born in
the parish of Glentubert, Monaghan county, Ireland, on the
16th of March, 1783. Early in youth he manifested a
great desire to go to America, and urged his father to
emigrate. He, being a very quiet, unobtrusive man,
with quite a family of young children, could not think of
bringing them to the wilds of America. Thomas
remained with his father until he was twenty-four
years of age, and had brothers grown up. He then told his
father he was deter mined to go to the new world, and urged
his suit with so much ardor that his parents could no longer
withhold their consent. He left Ireland in 1806, and
landed in New York with but one sovereign in his pocket.
He there met with Joseph T. Baldwin, of Newark, New
Jersey, who offered to employ him. He remained with
Mr. Baldwin for three years. In 1808, he
married Sarah Parker. About this time
his parents and three brothers, Richard, William,
and Robert, and his only sister, Margaret,
joined him in Newark. Thomas then determined
that Newark was not the place for his father's family to
settle, and in 1808 he and his father's family came to
Coshocton county, where they bought a quarter section of
land from Esaias Baker, on which now stand the
old homestead and also the village of East Plainfield and
cemetery, in which his first son, William, was the
first to be buried. In 1812, he and his brother,
Richard, were in the army under General
Harrison. He held the office of justice of the
peace, and was long an associate judge of the Court of
Common Pleas. He and Jacob Waggoner
built the first mill of any note on Will's creek, of four
run of burrs, that tapped a radius of twenty miles.
From 1820 to 1830, he ran several flat-boats to New Orleans
and other points south. He nearly lost his life the
first cholera season. In running the dam at Zanesville
one time he and two of his oarsmen were thrown out of the
boat by the oars striking the pier of the bridge. Mr.
Rankin, being a good swimmer, got out, William
Smith was drowned, and he was rescued from the water
by the exertions of sheriff Daniel Brush.
Once, finding yellow-fever prevailing in New Orleans, and
markets dull, he concluded to coast out his load of
provisions, and poled his boat up the Tennessee as far as
Florence, where muscle shoals prevented his further passage.
He had large contracts on the Ohio canal. Owing to the
high banks and mud bottoms, there was a difficulty in
fording Will's creek at his mills, and the commissioners
being unable or unwilling to assist in bridging said stream,
he petitioned the legislature, in 1834, to authorize him to
build a bridge and collect toll. This was the first
bridge spanning Will's creek in Coshocton county, and
remained a toll-bridge about twenty years, when his son made
a free-will offering of the bridge to the county
commissioners, they agreeing to repair and keep it up.
He was connected with the building of the bridges that span
the Tuscarawas and Walhonding rivers between Coshocton and
Roscoe. From 1838 to 1840 he had heavy contracts on
the Walhonding canal. In 1812, the pioneer Methodist
preacher founded this settlement, and the Johnson
family were the first to unite in church fellowship.
Thomas was appointed leader of the class, and also
steward, which office he held to the day of his death.
His house was always the preacher's home. About 1835,
he built the largest meeting-house in the vicinity, on his
land and principally at his own expense, giving it by will
to the trustees of Coshocton circuit, and their successors
in office. After a protracted sickness, which first
made itself manifest while attending court in Coshocton, he
died, Aug. 20, 1840, in full resignation and in great peace.
His widow survived him almost twenty-two years, dying at the
old homestead, Mar. 29, 1862. His father also survived
him eighteen days, dying Sept. 7, 1840, in the eighty-first
year of his age. Robert Johnson, his
youngest brother, moved from near Plainfield, twenty years
ago, and settled in Colwell county, Missouri, being in his
seventy-eighth year, and the only survivor of the old stock.
Source: HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS of COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO
1764-1876 by William E. Hunt. - Publ. Cincinnati - Robert
Clarke & Co., Printers - 1876 - Page 239 |
WILLIAM
K. JOHNSON was born in County Tyrone in Ire land, and
when only seven years of age was brought to America.
The family, after a brief stay in Baltimore, came to
Pittsburg, where a brother of Mrs. Johnson (Rev.
Dr. Kerr) was living. About 1820 Mrs.
Johnson was married to James Renfrew,
then doing business in Coshocton, and the Johnson
children thus and then came to Coshocton. At first a
clerk, and then a partner in the mercantile business, and
afterward in banking and in real estate operations.
William K. Johnson was for many years regarded as a
representative business man of the county. He had the
confidence of the whole community, and his name was a
synonym for integrity, sobriety, diligent application to
business, and great prudence. By all the sons of the
Emerald Isle, especially, he was looked to as a wise
counselor. His approbation of any matter of town and
county interest was regarded as quite important in order to
its accomplishment. His views and actions have very
largely shaped the social and business affairs of the region
where for nearly forty years he lived and labored. He
was for many years a member of the board of education and of
the town council of Coshocton. He was postmaster for
some fifteen years. lie was connected with the Steubenville
and Indiana railroad, as a director, from its organization
until his death. He was one of the most regular
attendants and spirited supporters of the Presbyterian
Church. In the earlier years of its history, he
superintended the Sabbath school, and led the congregational
singing. For a number of years he served the County
Bible society as its treasurer and depository. While
not uninterested in political affairs, he had little
ambition in that line.
He married, in 1836, Miss Elizabeth
Humrickhouse, who, with six children, survived him.
His death occurred in comparatively early years, lie being
about fifty years old. He died Monday (having been in
his place of business on Saturday), Dec. 10, 1860.
Source: HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS of COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO
1764-1876 by William E. Hunt. - Publ. Cincinnati - Robert
Clarke & Co., Printers - 1876 - Page 243 |
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