The Johnson Family

The Johnson family began their careers in Seaforth, Ontario.  It was there that Samuel F Johnson began a hardware store with his brothers (half brothers, if you must) David Willett Johnson and Edwin Johnson. The building was owned by Hickson & co, and the Johnson brothers were their first tenents. The Johnson brother's used the basement, main floor and most of the upper flat.  In 1875 their assessed value was $6400.

The store propered.  By 1880, Samuel and Edwin  moved out to Brandon, Manitoba where another younger brother James Loring Johnson already resided.  There they set up another Johnson Hardware, run by Edwin.  Samuel continued to keep an interest in the Seaforth location.  The new store also prospered to the point Edwin became a prominent citizen of Brandon:

Former Johnson House (Brandon, MB, Canada) June 7, 2002
Municipal Heritage Site - February 2002
446 - 7th Street
Built 1906

Construction of this residence was started in 1904 and completed in 1906. The house and lands were owned and occupied by Edwin H. Johnson and his family for the next 72 years until 1978. Mr. Johnson, a hardware merchant, was the owner of Johnson Hardware, built in 1885, which was located on the south east corner of Ninth Street and Rosser Avenue and remained in operation until 1959.

The residential structure was build by C. Lillington and designed by notable Brandon architect W. A. Elliot. The home incorporates the designs of the Queen Anne Revival style of architecture. It features a large veranda with classic columns, patterned shingles on the verandah foundation, several bay windows, a bulls- eye window, a stained glass "piano" window, and classic pediments over the windows on the north and south elevations. Windows feature rectangular, segmented and brick semi-elliptical arches and stone sills.
The existing front exterior door is original to the house and is of a raised panel style with horizontal panels topped with a leaded glass window. The interior foyer door is similar in style with a leaded glass window incorporating a fleur-de-lis and a diamond pattern. Much of the original interior woodwork has also been retained on the main floor.

Postcard of Main Street, Seaforth Ontario.

Circa 1910, courtesy of the Toronto Public Library.

James Johnson, a native of Seaforth, Ontario, came west with a survey party in 1884. During the winter of 1886-1887 he worked with Phil Weinard in the Big Lake area, Alberta. From 1887 to 1902 he worked for Hull's 25 ranch, the Oxley ranch and ran his own L4L ranch on Willow Creek, Alberta. In 1902 he and his wife Mildred moved to the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, where he worked for Malcolm Innis, a butcher. After operating the Astoria Hotel in High River, Alberta, for a few years, he returned to his ranch. During World War I he served with the Canadian Engineers, upon his discharge he became a brand inspector in Calgary, Alberta.

Duncan C Johnson  1864-1 Feb 1906

This picture of Duncan was taken by the famous Carruther's Studio of San Jose, Cal.  W.J. Carruther's owned and operated his studio from 1896-1909.
Info on the studio  courtesy of  David Cann  who was nice enough to go to the San Jose Public library and research the city directories for me.

Duncan moved to California to work with
the  Huntington, Hopkins & Co Hardware
Firm. 

Click here to learn more about this company.

Duncan was the grandson of the famous Captain Robert Wilson. Click here to read more about Captain Wilson and view his picture.

James Johnson 1866-1916?

Johnson's Hardware Store, Brandon, Manitoba

Image taken looking south at 9th Street and Rosser Ave.  McDonald's clothing store and Johnson's hardware store on SE corner.

Samuel's daughters-Frances and Nora Johnson.  Nora (the younger one) is my grandmother.

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