John Johnston (11 April 1791, Knocknalling, near Dalry,

Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or ...

– 24 November 1880) was a Scottish-American farmer. He is credited with the first public introduction of agricultural

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. He did so in 1838. John Johnston was born in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and emigrated to the United States in 1821. His farmhouse in upper

Geneva, New York Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake; all land portions of the city are within Ontario County; the water portions are in Seneca County. The population was 13, ...

is now a museum of his life and drainage tiles.

External links

The Geneva Historical Society, which now owns and administrates his farmhouse as a museum

Article on the subject, which is also given out in printed form during tours

Local tourist board site on the museum
1791 births 1880 deaths People from Dumfries and Galloway People from Geneva, New York Farmers from New York (state) Scottish farmers Scottish emigrants to the United States Engineers from New York (state) {{agri-stub