William Wartenbee Johnson (August 26, 1826 – March 2, 1887) was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician in the

U.S. State In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

who was an

Ohio Supreme Court The Ohio Supreme Court, Officially known as The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a ...

Judge 1880–1886.

Biography

Johnson was born in

Muskingum County, Ohio Muskingum County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,410. Its county seat is Zanesville. Nearly bisected by the Muskingum River, the county name is based on a Delaware American Indian ...

near Chandlersville, August 26 or August 17, 1826. He was the third son of Solomon Johnson, originally from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, and Elizabeth Wartenbee, a

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

native. He attended neighborhood schools, and graduated from and later taught at

Muskingum College Muskingum University is a private liberal arts college in New Concord, Ohio. Chartered in 1837 as Muskingum College, the institution is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Collectively, the university's alumni are referred to as the ...

New Concord New Concord is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population is 2,491 as of the 2010 census. New Concord is the home of Muskingum University and is served by a branch of the Muskingum County Library System. History New Con ...

. In 1849, he began study of law at the office of

Charles Cleveland Convers Charles Cleveland Convers (July 26, 1810 – September 20, 1860) was a Republican politician in the U.S. State of Ohio who was Speaker of the Ohio Senate for two years and a judge on the Ohio Supreme Court for a short time. Biography Charles Cle ...

, then Speaker of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

, and later on the Ohio Supreme Court. In 1852, he was admitted to the bar, and began practice at

Ironton, Ohio Ironton is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Ohio, United States. Located in southernmost Ohio along the Ohio River northwest of Huntington, West Virginia, the city includes the Downtown Ironton Historic District. The populatio ...

. In 1858, Johnson was elected Judge of the Common Pleas, and served until 1866. In 1868, he was re-elected, but resigned in 1872 due to ill health. In 1874, he was the Republican nominee for Supreme Court Judge, but lost to Democrat

George Rex George Rex (29 August 1765 - 3 April 1839) was a British-born entrepreneur who spent most of his adult life in the Cape Colony, South Africa. He founded the town of Knysna in the Western Cape and played a key role in its development. Rex fille ...

. In 1876,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Hayes appointed him a member of the first

Supreme Court Commission of Ohio Bold indicates chief judge or chief justice. The Ohio Supreme Court was created by the Ohio Constitution of 1802 with three judges, and had three or four through 1851. In 1851, the number of judges was increased to five. In 1892, the number of jud ...

, serving until 1879. In 1876, he was also appointed a trustee of

Ohio University Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...

. In 1879, Johnson was again nominated by the Republicans for Supreme Court Judge, and defeated incumbent Democrat William J. Gilmore. Johnson was re-elected in 1884, but resigned November 9, 1886 due to ill health. He died March 2, 1887. He died at Ironton, and is buried at Woodland Cemetery. On October 26, 1854, Johnson married Ella Blocksom, daughter of judge William Blocksom of

Zanesville Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, down ...

. They had two children, one of whom survived. Johnson was a Royal Arch

Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, William Wartenbee Ohio lawyers Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court Ohio Republicans People from Muskingum County, Ohio People from Ironton, Ohio Muskingum University alumni 1826 births 1887 deaths Ohio University trustees Members of the Supreme Court Commission of Ohio 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers