Texas Legislators: Past & Present

John Johnson

Full Name: John "Rutabaga" Johnson
Birth date: February 23, 1819
Death date: August 5, 1899

Terms of Service

Senate, 19th ⁽¹⁾ & 18th ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ Legislatures
1/9/1883 - 1/11/1887
Democrat

(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 9, 1883
January 10, 1883

Biographical Notes and Resources

Photographs

Photograph. John Johnson, State Preservation Board
Photograph. John Johnson, State Preservation Board

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 . 1880 1870
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.
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.
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.