Johnson, Francis. T. C. (1834-1913)

JOHNSON

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 10/9/2008 at 13:59:14

Francis T. C. Johnson
June 16, 1834 - Oct 5, 1913

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.202, Norwalk Twp.)
F. T. C. Johnson, farmer, P. O. Neola, was born in Augusta County, Va., June 16, 1834. He is the son of Francis and Mary Jane (Hall) Johnson. His father was an old Virginia planter, and was born in Augusta County, Va., in 1808. The old Johnson homestead is known in Virginia as Bushy Neck. It is a tract of land lying in a loop of the Middle River, a branch of the Shenandoah. it has come dough through the family for 200 years, and was granted as a consideration for services rendered the crown of England. Our subject's father had two brothers, both of whom died in the West Indies. Neither raised any children. Our subject's mother was born in Albemarle County, Va., in 1810. His advantages for an education were very limited, being confined to the old subscription schools. At the age of seventeen, he began an apprenticeship of three years to the carpenter's trade. For two years and eight months, he attended the University of Virginia, at Charlottsville, near Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Our subject concluded to come West, and arrived in Council Bluffs March 4, 1855. He came as far as Rock Island, Ill., by rail, crossed the Mississippi on the ice; came as far as Winterset, Madison Co., Iowa, by stage, and walked the balance of the distance, arriving several days ahead of the stage. The first summer he worked at this trade, doing the first work on the capitol at Omaha, and also working on George Izzard's house, the first Governor of Nebraska. The following winter he spent in Eastern Iowa. He returned the next spring and worked at his trade as a contractor. He built the court house and nearly all the schoolhouses up to 1870; also the residences of P. Batchell, John Bearsheim, L. Kirch and William Groneweg, together with most of the business houses on Broadway, up to 1870. He then settled on his present farm, Section 17, Norwalk Township, and has resided there since. September 20, 1857, he married Caroline, daughter of Col. L. W. and Mary Ellen (Farmer) Babbitt. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, August 30, 1836. Her father was born in Ovid, Seneca Co., N. Y., January 30, 1812. He was one of the first settlers of this county. He first came as Register of the Land office; was afterward the editor of the Council Bluffs "Bugle." Mrs. Johnson's mother was born in West Virginia. Our subject has had six children, five of whom are living - Lysander, born July 4, 1858; Alexander, born November 29, 1859, and died in December, 1861; Francis Lee, born April 7, 1863; Julian, born October 3, 1864, and Daisy born December 9, 1873. In politics, Mr. Johnson is an old school Democrat.

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa)
FRANCIS T.C. JOHNSON, noted for thrift and enterprise as a farmer in Norwalk Township, was born in Augusta Co, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, June 16, 1834, a son of Francis and Maryjane (HALL) JOHNSON, who were also natives of Augusta County, Virginia. Francis JOHNSON SR., died in Virginia about 1846, when probably 68 years of age. In his youth, he attended the college at Lexington, Virginia, and after years was said to be the best-educated man in the Shenandoah Valley, and acted with efficiency as Surveyor General of that part of Virginia in which he lived. When a young man, he taught school and in later years was a dealer in grain, etc. Politically he was a Whig, and during the War with England, in 1812, served in the ranks as a soldier. His father, also named Francis JOHNSON, was the first white child born in Augusta Co, Virginia. He was a soldier in the American army during the war for freedom, and was a farmer. Maryjane HALL, who became the wife of FRANCIS JOHNSON, and the mother of the subject of this sketch, is still living, now in her 80th year making her home with her grandchildren in Virginia. She has been a member of the Methodist Church nearly 70 years. She had 7 children, five of whom are now living, viz.: Mildred Ellen now of Salt Lake City, Utah; Mary J., wife of Henry K. EAKLE, who resides at the old home in Virginia; Elisheba, who married John A. RUDISEL, deceased, and resides in Lucas Co, Iowa; Francis T.C. is next; Julian A. is a ranchman of Colorado; and Abbie, the youngest, was born in 1839 and died in 1862; and Asenath, wife of Thornton G. STOUT a merchant and capitalist of New Hope, Augusta Co, Virginia. Francis T.C. spent his school days in August Co, Virginia. Early in life he served an apprenticeship as carpenter, and when yet a young man came West and located at Council Bluffs, where he engaged working as a carpenter until 1870; then he moved to his present location, on sections 12 and 13, where he purchased 370 acres of land, which he has improved in various ways, etc. On coming to where he now lives his nearest neighbor north was at Neola; west, Underwood; east, two and one half miles, and south one mile; and there were two houses on the road from there to Council Bluffs. Since coming to this place he has held numerous official positions, with the utmost satisfaction to all interested parties. In 1872 he was elected Assessor of York Township, which then included the eastern half of Norwalk and all of York Township. Among the positions of trust, which he has held are: Secretary of School Board, Trustee and Township Clerk. September 17, 1857, he married Miss Caroline BABBIDD, daughter of Colonel Lysander BABBIDD. She was born near Cleveland, Ohio in 1836 and to their marriage six children have been born, five of whom are now living, viz.: Lysander W. who operates an elevator at Neola, this county; Alexander W. was four years of age at death; Mary Ellen is the wife of John PHILLIPS a farmer at Norwalk Township; Francis Lee recently graduated at a commercial college at Rochester, NY, and is now a resident of Denver, Colorado; Julian A. is somewhere in Mexico; and Daisy is at home. Mr. JOHNSON was one of the first members of Council Bluffs Lodge of I.O.O.F. No. 49 and is politically a Democrat.