Bio from "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904), pp 1802-1803.
JAMES W. JOHNSTON, secretary and general manager of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, is a well-known citizen of Faulkton. He was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of October, 1854, being a son of William and Agnes (Watson) Johnston, both of whom were likewise born and reared in Pennsylvania. The father of the subject was a successful farmer of Center county, where he continued to reside until 1869, when he removed with his family to Lee county, where he and his wife resided until their deaths.
James W. Johnston passed his youth on the family homestead farm in Pennsylvania, and received a common-school education. He accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. In 1879 he came to South Dakota, so that he may be consistently termed a pioneer of the state, and shortly after his arrival he entered claim to one hundred and sixty acres of government land ten miles north of Watertown, which he proved up. He then assisted on the government surveys of the territory until January, 1883, when he removed to Faulk county, which was then unorganized, and filed a pre-emption on one hundred and sixty acres of land joining the town site of La Foon, which afterwards became the first county seat of Faulk county. At the first general election held in Faulk county, November 8, 1894, he was elected to the office of register of deeds, being the first chosen to this position by popular vote. He served one term, while subsequently he was again elected to this office, serving one term. His long experience in the office has made him thoroughly familiar with land values in this section and this knowledge has been of great benefit to him in his real-estate operations. In 1886, when the railroad was completed to Faulkton, the present county seat, he removed to the new town, with whose interests and upbuilding he has since been identified. He continued his business individually until 1893, when he effected the organization of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, of which he has been secretary and general manager from the start. The company own a complete set of abstracts of land titles of Faulk county. Mr. Johnston is a member of the Republican party, and for the past eight years has served as chairman of the Republican county central committee. He served two terms as a member of the city council, and for three years as a member of the board of education. Fraternally he is identified with Faulkton Lodge, No. 95, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Faulkton Chapter, No. 30, Royal Arch Masons, of which he is high priest at the time of this writing; the order of Knights of the Maccabees and Modern Woodmen of America.
On the 5th of November, 1885, Mr. Johnston was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie M. Cochrane, of Des Moines, Iowa, who was born and reared in that state, being a daughter of J. C. Cochrane. In the spring of 1883 Mrs. Johnston came to South Dakota with her uncle, Joseph Cochrane, and filed a pre-emption claim. She may be termed a pioneer of Faulk county, having settled on her land prior to the time it came into the market. In December, 1884, Judge Seward Smith appointed her clerk of the district court, in which office she served about two years, having been the first woman to hold the office in the state. She resigned the position at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had born to them ten children, of whom but four are living: Belle, Lloyd, Laura and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are members of the Congregational church.
JAMES W. JOHNSTON, secretary and general manager of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, is a well-known citizen of Faulkton. He was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of October, 1854, being a son of William and Agnes (Watson) Johnston, both of whom were likewise born and reared in Pennsylvania. The father of the subject was a successful farmer of Center county, where he continued to reside until 1869, when he removed with his family to Lee county, where he and his wife resided until their deaths.
James W. Johnston passed his youth on the family homestead farm in Pennsylvania, and received a common-school education. He accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. In 1879 he came to South Dakota, so that he may be consistently termed a pioneer of the state, and shortly after his arrival he entered claim to one hundred and sixty acres of government land ten miles north of Watertown, which he proved up. He then assisted on the government surveys of the territory until January, 1883, when he removed to Faulk county, which was then unorganized, and filed a pre-emption on one hundred and sixty acres of land joining the town site of La Foon, which afterwards became the first county seat of Faulk county. At the first general election held in Faulk county, November 8, 1894, he was elected to the office of register of deeds, being the first chosen to this position by popular vote. He served one term, while subsequently he was again elected to this office, serving one term. His long experience in the office has made him thoroughly familiar with land values in this section and this knowledge has been of great benefit to him in his real-estate operations. In 1886, when the railroad was completed to Faulkton, the present county seat, he removed to the new town, with whose interests and upbuilding he has since been identified. He continued his business individually until 1893, when he effected the organization of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, of which he has been secretary and general manager from the start. The company own a complete set of abstracts of land titles of Faulk county. Mr. Johnston is a member of the Republican party, and for the past eight years has served as chairman of the Republican county central committee. He served two terms as a member of the city council, and for three years as a member of the board of education. Fraternally he is identified with Faulkton Lodge, No. 95, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Faulkton Chapter, No. 30, Royal Arch Masons, of which he is high priest at the time of this writing; the order of Knights of the Maccabees and Modern Woodmen of America.
On the 5th of November, 1885, Mr. Johnston was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie M. Cochrane, of Des Moines, Iowa, who was born and reared in that state, being a daughter of J. C. Cochrane. In the spring of 1883 Mrs. Johnston came to South Dakota with her uncle, Joseph Cochrane, and filed a pre-emption claim. She may be termed a pioneer of Faulk county, having settled on her land prior to the time it came into the market. In December, 1884, Judge Seward Smith appointed her clerk of the district court, in which office she served about two years, having been the first woman to hold the office in the state. She resigned the position at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had born to them ten children, of whom but four are living: Belle, Lloyd, Laura and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are members of the Congregational church.
Bio from "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904), pp 1802-1803.
JAMES W. JOHNSTON, secretary and general manager of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, is a well-known citizen of Faulkton. He was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of October, 1854, being a son of William and Agnes (Watson) Johnston, both of whom were likewise born and reared in Pennsylvania. The father of the subject was a successful farmer of Center county, where he continued to reside until 1869, when he removed with his family to Lee county, where he and his wife resided until their deaths.
James W. Johnston passed his youth on the family homestead farm in Pennsylvania, and received a common-school education. He accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. In 1879 he came to South Dakota, so that he may be consistently termed a pioneer of the state, and shortly after his arrival he entered claim to one hundred and sixty acres of government land ten miles north of Watertown, which he proved up. He then assisted on the government surveys of the territory until January, 1883, when he removed to Faulk county, which was then unorganized, and filed a pre-emption on one hundred and sixty acres of land joining the town site of La Foon, which afterwards became the first county seat of Faulk county. At the first general election held in Faulk county, November 8, 1894, he was elected to the office of register of deeds, being the first chosen to this position by popular vote. He served one term, while subsequently he was again elected to this office, serving one term. His long experience in the office has made him thoroughly familiar with land values in this section and this knowledge has been of great benefit to him in his real-estate operations. In 1886, when the railroad was completed to Faulkton, the present county seat, he removed to the new town, with whose interests and upbuilding he has since been identified. He continued his business individually until 1893, when he effected the organization of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, of which he has been secretary and general manager from the start. The company own a complete set of abstracts of land titles of Faulk county. Mr. Johnston is a member of the Republican party, and for the past eight years has served as chairman of the Republican county central committee. He served two terms as a member of the city council, and for three years as a member of the board of education. Fraternally he is identified with Faulkton Lodge, No. 95, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Faulkton Chapter, No. 30, Royal Arch Masons, of which he is high priest at the time of this writing; the order of Knights of the Maccabees and Modern Woodmen of America.
On the 5th of November, 1885, Mr. Johnston was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie M. Cochrane, of Des Moines, Iowa, who was born and reared in that state, being a daughter of J. C. Cochrane. In the spring of 1883 Mrs. Johnston came to South Dakota with her uncle, Joseph Cochrane, and filed a pre-emption claim. She may be termed a pioneer of Faulk county, having settled on her land prior to the time it came into the market. In December, 1884, Judge Seward Smith appointed her clerk of the district court, in which office she served about two years, having been the first woman to hold the office in the state. She resigned the position at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had born to them ten children, of whom but four are living: Belle, Lloyd, Laura and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are members of the Congregational church.
JAMES W. JOHNSTON, secretary and general manager of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, is a well-known citizen of Faulkton. He was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of October, 1854, being a son of William and Agnes (Watson) Johnston, both of whom were likewise born and reared in Pennsylvania. The father of the subject was a successful farmer of Center county, where he continued to reside until 1869, when he removed with his family to Lee county, where he and his wife resided until their deaths.
James W. Johnston passed his youth on the family homestead farm in Pennsylvania, and received a common-school education. He accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. In 1879 he came to South Dakota, so that he may be consistently termed a pioneer of the state, and shortly after his arrival he entered claim to one hundred and sixty acres of government land ten miles north of Watertown, which he proved up. He then assisted on the government surveys of the territory until January, 1883, when he removed to Faulk county, which was then unorganized, and filed a pre-emption on one hundred and sixty acres of land joining the town site of La Foon, which afterwards became the first county seat of Faulk county. At the first general election held in Faulk county, November 8, 1894, he was elected to the office of register of deeds, being the first chosen to this position by popular vote. He served one term, while subsequently he was again elected to this office, serving one term. His long experience in the office has made him thoroughly familiar with land values in this section and this knowledge has been of great benefit to him in his real-estate operations. In 1886, when the railroad was completed to Faulkton, the present county seat, he removed to the new town, with whose interests and upbuilding he has since been identified. He continued his business individually until 1893, when he effected the organization of the Faulk County Land and Title Company, of which he has been secretary and general manager from the start. The company own a complete set of abstracts of land titles of Faulk county. Mr. Johnston is a member of the Republican party, and for the past eight years has served as chairman of the Republican county central committee. He served two terms as a member of the city council, and for three years as a member of the board of education. Fraternally he is identified with Faulkton Lodge, No. 95, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Faulkton Chapter, No. 30, Royal Arch Masons, of which he is high priest at the time of this writing; the order of Knights of the Maccabees and Modern Woodmen of America.
On the 5th of November, 1885, Mr. Johnston was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie M. Cochrane, of Des Moines, Iowa, who was born and reared in that state, being a daughter of J. C. Cochrane. In the spring of 1883 Mrs. Johnston came to South Dakota with her uncle, Joseph Cochrane, and filed a pre-emption claim. She may be termed a pioneer of Faulk county, having settled on her land prior to the time it came into the market. In December, 1884, Judge Seward Smith appointed her clerk of the district court, in which office she served about two years, having been the first woman to hold the office in the state. She resigned the position at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had born to them ten children, of whom but four are living: Belle, Lloyd, Laura and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are members of the Congregational church.
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