My Genealogy Hound

James L. Johnson, one of the oldest living residents of Jefferson County, was born in the Dominion of Canada in 1811, and is perhaps better versed in this county’s history than any other citizen, having, as an early settler of Pine Bluff, built the first frame house in that place. He came to the State of Arkansas in 1835. His parents were Thomas and Mary (Blair) Johnson, natives of Long Island and Prince Edward’s Island, the former of whom located in New Brunswick, and engaged in exporting timber and lumber. In his later life he was a very prominent man, having been appointed judge of the appellate court. In this family were five sons and two daughters, and of these the subject of this sketch is now the only survivor. At the age of fourteen James L. was sent to Nova Scotia, where he served four years as apprentice learning the trade of carpenter and joiner, and at the age of twenty-two he started out for himself, landing in New York City, where he worked for several years. Going thence to New Orleans, he remained a short time, and later came up the river to Little Rock, finally reaching Pine Bluff’s present site, in 1835, where he commenced working at his trade. But little inducement was offered for him to stop here, so he left and went up the Ohio River to Madison, Ind., but after a short time again found himself in Pine Bluff. In October, 1839, he went to Swan Lake, Arkansas County, locating on a tract of land covered with heavy timber and cane, and on the spot where his home now stands he killed his first deer, dispatching also a bear nearby. There were only two settlers near him at that time. Mr. Johnson has since devoted himself to clearing his land and working at his trade, besides putting up gins for miles around. In 1848 he built his present residence, and the same year married Harrisynthe Racine, daughter of Athonas Racine, who married and raised his family in Arkansas. Mrs. Johnson was born at the Post of Arkansas, and died in 1885 at the age of sixty-eight. They had two daughters: Mary (the wife of O. M. Spellman, recently appointed by President Harrison, United States marshal of this district), and Fannie, who is at home. When in New York Mr. Johnson joined the Odd Fellows, and was a Mason several years ago. He has taken some part in politics; was an old line Whig, and during the war was in sympathy with the Union cause. Though a sufferer from paralysis, he is engaged in planting and general merchandising, and by virtue of his long residence here as well as his true worth, enjoys a wide and favorable acquaintance.