Gustaf Johnson

Gustaf J. Johnson
Gustaf J. Johnson
	Johnson (circa 1911) when mayor of Paxton, Illinois
Mayor of Paxton
	In office; 1909–1915
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
	In office; 1920–1936
Personal details
Born	September 8, 1872
Died	August 12, 1944 (aged 71); Urbana, Illinois
Spouse	Jennie Frederickson
Children	5

Gustaf J. Johnson (September 8, 1872 - August 12, 1944) was an immigrant to the United States from Sweden who became a mayor of Paxton, Illinois and a state legislator for 16 years from 1920 to 1936.^[1]

Biography

Johnson was born September 8, 1872, in Sweden moving to the United States at the age of fourteen.^[2] He first lived in Clay Center, Kansas where he was educated in public schools before moving to Chicago to attend business college.^[1] He then moved to Paxton, Illinois in 1895 where he ran a watch making and repair shop.^[2] He later set up a jewelry store in 1905 which he ran until 1910, the store was located within the Middlecoff hotel.^[2]

Johnson held the position of president at the Paxton Building and Loan association for twenty-five years.^[2] He was manager of the Central Telephone & Telegraph Co. whist mayor of Paxton resigning January 1913 and replaced by T. D. Thompson.^[3]

He married Jennie Frederickson in 1898, with whom he had several children.^[2] His wife died before him in 1931 after being critically ill for weeks.^[4]

He was a member of several organisations including the Odd Fellows, the Paxton Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite order of Masons and the Modern Woodmen.^[2]

Politics

In 1907 he was elected to be city alderman serving two years before being elected mayor of Paxton, a position he held for three terms.^[2] He had first been elected mayor in April 1909 on the Citizens ticket defeating the People's nominee Arthur Dillon.^[5] He was then re-elected in April 1911 again defeating Arthur Dillon with 360 votes to 118.^[6] After his second re-election Johnson in April 1913 wrote in the Paxton Record how honored he was to be the first mayor of Paxton to be elected for three consecutive sessions.^[7] He stood for a forth term but was defeated by W. H. Westbrook mostly due to the women's vote.^[8] As mayor he was noted for getting most of the city's streets paved and also for the expansion of Pell park.^[2]

In 1920 he was elected to the Illinois General Assembly and served as a Republican for 16 years in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1920 to 1936.^[1]^[9]

In 1926 Johnson was elected chairman of the state Republican central committee succeeding Frank L. Smith.^[10]

He was the chairman of the Ford County Republican for 16 years.^[2]

Death

He died from heart disease August 12, 1944 at the Carle Memorial hospital in Urbana, Illinois and was buried at the Glen cemetery.^[2] He was survived by five children, three sons and two daughters, as well as two brothers Knudt Johnson and Henning Johnson.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c State, Illinois Office of Secretary of (July 25, 1925). "Illinois Blue Book". Secretary of State. p. 174 – via Google Books.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "Obituary for GUSTAF J. JOHNSON (Aged 71)". The Sibley Journal. August 17, 1944. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
^ "T. D. Thompson New Manger of Telephone Company". The Paxton Record. 16 January 1913. p. 1. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Mrs Gustaf J. Johnson". The Roberts Herald. 23 September 1931. p. 1. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Election Results Elsewhere". Gibson City Courier. 23 April 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "The City Election". The Paxton Record. 20 April 1911. p. 3. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "To The Good People of Paxton". The Paxton Record. 17 April 1913. p. 6. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Local matters (section) Paxton Mayor". Gibson City Courier. 23 April 1915. p. 5. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ Eversole, Mildred (1945). "Illinois in 1944". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 38 (1): 88. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40188131. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "G. J. Johnson is State Chairman". The Pantagraph. 13 May 1926. p. 3. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[Blue_Book-1] State, Illinois Office of Secretary of (July 25, 1925). "Illinois Blue Book". Secretary of State. p. 174 – via Google Books.

[obituary-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "Obituary for GUSTAF J. JOHNSON (Aged 71)". The Sibley Journal. August 17, 1944. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.

[3] "T. D. Thompson New Manger of Telephone Company". The Paxton Record. 16 January 1913. p. 1. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[4] "Mrs Gustaf J. Johnson". The Roberts Herald. 23 September 1931. p. 1. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[5] "Election Results Elsewhere". Gibson City Courier. 23 April 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[6] "The City Election". The Paxton Record. 20 April 1911. p. 3. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[Paxton_Record_17_April_1913-7] "To The Good People of Paxton". The Paxton Record. 17 April 1913. p. 6. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[8] "Local matters (section) Paxton Mayor". Gibson City Courier. 23 April 1915. p. 5. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[9] Eversole, Mildred (1945). "Illinois in 1944". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 38 (1): 88. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40188131. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[10] "G. J. Johnson is State Chairman". The Pantagraph. 13 May 1926. p. 3. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]