JOHNSON, John H.

JOHNSON, KINNEY, HUDSON, JACOBSON

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 1/29/2011 at 15:22:34

John H. Johnson is numbered among those who have been most prominent in promoting the upbuilding and progress of Osage and of Mitchell county. He has been identified with various business interests and for a long period was president of the Farmers National Bank of Osage but at the present time is living retired, enjoying well earned rest at the age of eighty-one years.

He was born in Norway, near Christiania, March 13, 1837, and there resided until 1852, when at the age of fifteen years he came to the United States, making his first location in Green county, Wisconsin, where he lived for a year. In September, 1853, he removed to Mitchell county, with his parents, Helge and Gunhild Johnson, who were farming people of Norway, having come here in the spring. Their farm name was Rodningsand. The father came with a large party to the United States. They made their way westward from Quebec to Chicago, where the party divided and Mr. Johnson went to Wisconsin, where he lived through one winter. He then joined a colony of people headed by the Rev. Clausen and started for Iowa. There were fifty wagons in the train and the trip was made in the spring of 1853. The land was still in possession of the government at that time and had not been surveyed for settlement. In 1853, however, it was surveyed and put up for sale in 1855, and all of the Norwegian colonists purchased farms. The party to which the Johnson family belonged settled around St. Ansgar, as it is now called. They had to go to McGregor for supplies and they took their grain to Orbin on the Turkey river. Helge Johnson secured a quarter of section 16, Cedar township, and there began the development of a farm, upon which he continued to make his home until his death, which occurred about 1870, when he was seventy years of age. His wife died in Wisconsin before their removal to Iowa. They were the parents of seven children, all of whom were born in Norway and came to this country. They are Mary, Ole, Lars, John, Helge, Olia and Christie. Mary was the one who remained in Wisconsin, having there became the wife of Christian Jacobson. All the rest lived in Iowa but only two now survive, Lars and John H., the former a resident of Cedar township, Mitchell county, his place bordering Rock Creek. He took up this land adjoining his father's place on the removal of the family to the county and has since occupied it.

John H. Johnson was educated in Norway and in 1857 he became a student in the first school that was established in this section of Iowa, it being founded in Osage. He had also attended school during the winter which he spent in Wisconsin. He afterward worked by the month for the first twelve years of his residence in Mitchell county and during that period he carefully saved his earnings until his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase eighty acres of land located at the edge of Floyd county. He remained upon that place for about three years, after which he rented his farm and entered the employ of J. H. Brush, for whom he worked in the saw and grist mill on Cedar river, two miles west of Osage. At a later period he engaged in clerking in a mercantile establishment in Osage for two years and then turned his attention to merchandising on his own account, establishing a hardware store in Osage in partnership with Ared Hitchcock and Gilbert Gilbertson under the firm style of Johnson, Hitchcock & Company. Later J. W. Annis purchased the interest of Mr. Johnson's two partners in the business and the firm of Johnson & Annis was then formed. In 1872 the parents purchased a lot and, building thereon, became proprietors of a new store, in which they put their stock of hard­ware, carrying on business there until about 1890, when they sold out to the firm of Grimes & Tupper, who conducted the store at the same location until the bank was started. After disposing of his hardware store Mr. Johnson gave his atten­tion to his farming interests, for he had invested to a considerable extent in farm lands prior to this time. He also engaged in buying butter and eggs, which he shipped to the state of Washington. He was thus actively engaged until he assisted in the organization of the Farmers National Bank, of which he became the president, with James A. Smith as vice president and Karl Johnson as cashier. They located in the building owned by Johnson & Annis, where the bank is still conducted. Mr. Johnson continued to act as the president until 1914 and wisely directed the policy of the institution, carefully safeguarding the interests of depositors and stockholders alike. His methods were such as awakened the confidence of the public and won to the institution a liberal patronage.

In 1869 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Kinney, a native of Vermont. They became the parents of three children: Karl, who is now president of the bank; Cora Hannah, living at home; and Mary Gertrude, the wife of Thomas E. Hudson, a banker of Beach, North Dakota.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are consistent and prominent members of the Norwegian Lutheran church, of which he has been one of the officers since the organization and a most active worker in behalf of the church. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and he is a firm advocate of its principles. For some years Mr. Johnson has lived retired. He has in former years been executor for many estates and has been made guardian of nine children. He is one of the most substantial, valued and honored citizens of his town—a man of high principles and moral worth, alert and energetic in business affairs, one who has wisely used his talents and made the most of his opportunities. He deserves great credit for what he has accomplished and his example should well serve to encourage and inspire others.

Source: History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1918, Vol. II, pages 311-313.