John Johnson

Full Name: John "Rutabaga" Johnson
Date of birth: February 23, 1819
Date of death: August 5, 1899

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	17	Jan 9, 1883 - Jan 11, 1887	18th ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ 19th ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	McKinney / Collin		Collin, Denton

(1) Independent, p. 163. Burke's Texas Almanac and Immigrants' Handbook for 1885, 1885.
(2) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Eighteenth Legislature of Texas, 1883.
(3) 18th Legislature, Regular Session - All Senators except District 3 and 21 are listed in Roll Call as taking the oath of office, 1/9/1883, p. 2; resolution by Sen. Gooch that the Senators shall now be divided by lot into two classes, 1/10/1883, pp. 5-6; drew term of 4 years. Senate Journal. January 10, 1883 January 9, 1883

Terms of Service top

Senate District 17
Jan 9, 1883 - Jan 11, 1887
Legislatures: 18th ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ 19th ⁽¹⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: McKinney / Collin
Counties in district: Collin, Denton

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

John Johnson, birth date 2/23/1819, death date 8/5/1899, portrait, biographical sketch, burial in Johnson Cemetery, New Hope, Collin County. Find a Grave.
Biographical sketch, John Johnson, pp. 83-84. Personnel of the Texas State Government for 1885, 19th Legislature, 1885.
Biographical sketch, p. 242. Texas Legislative Manual, 1882-83, 1883.
Biographical sketch, pp. 307, 309. Represented De Kalb County, Missouri, in Missouri Legislature in 1856; later moved to Texas and settled in McKinney. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
Biographical sketch and portrait, John Johnson, pp. 212-214. Born 2/23/1820 in North Carolina. Member of the Missouri Legislature in 1856; and the Senate of the 18th and 19th Legislatures of Texas. Types of Successful Men of Texas, 1890.

Other Resources

Census of 1870 - John Johnson, Collin County, age 50, born circa 1820 in North Carolina, farmer, wife Polly.
Census of 1880 - John Johnson, McKinney, Collin County, age 60, born circa 1820 in North Carolina, wife Polly. FamilySearch. 1870 1880
Obituary, "Capt. Johnson Dead," The Democrat, 8/10/1899, p. 5, crediting Collin County Genealogical Society. "He was elected as a member of the constitutional convention of Texas in 1875 and also to the State senate afterwards. It was in these bodies, by his earnest advocacy of the farmer's interests, he won from his political adversaries the sobriquet of Rutabaga Johnson which name he graciously accepted and almost invariably signed it to articles for publication." Death date 8/5/1899. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
Delegate to Constitutional Convention, 1875. Included in Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas: Begun and Held at the City of Austin Texas. Constitutional Convention (1875). Galveston : Printed for the Convention at the "News" Office, 1875, pp. 3-4. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin), 2009.

Photographs

Photograph. John Johnson, 19th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. John Johnson, 18th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

18th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber vestibule, east wall. 2E.V1). State Preservation Board.
19th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber vestibule, east wall. 2E.V1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

19th R.S. - 1885 Agricultural Affairs (Chair) Constitutional Amendments Counties and County Boundaries Finance Insurance, Statistics and History Purchase of Granite Quarry in Burnet County Retrenchment and Reform Roads and Bridges
18th R.S. - 1883 Agricultural Affairs (Chair) Claims and Accounts Constitutional Amendments Contingent Expenses County and County Boundaries Finance Internal Improvements Retrenchment and Reform Roads and Bridges

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