Husband Samuel R. Johnston 1
Born: 26 Jul 1797 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 1
Christened:
Died: 17 Sep 1854 2
Buried:
Father: John Johnston (Abt 1765-1827) 3
Mother: Mary Reed ( -1839) 3
Marriage: 1824 3
Wife Mary Nelson 3
Born:
Christened:
Died: 24 Apr 1889 3
Buried:
Children
1 F Valeria Collins Johnston 2
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2 F Mary Oliver Johnston 2
Born:
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3 M William Graham Johnston 2
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General Notes: Husband - Samuel R. Johnston
He was born in a house on Front street (later First avenue), which his father erected two years previously, and which was the third brick edifice built in Pittsburgh. He received an excellent academic education, and then acquired a knowledge of the printing business in the house of Cramer & Spear. In 1818 this pioneer establishment passed into the control of Mr. Johnston and his brother-in-law, the firm being Eichbaum & Johnston. From 1819 until 1822 they were the publishers of the Pittsburgh Gazette, then a weekly paper. About the same period they established a newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri, called the St. Louis Register. Subsequently its place of publication was changed to Kaskaskia, then the capital of Illinois, when its title was the Republican Advocate. From these adventures they obtained more experience than profit. In 1824 the interest of Mr. Eichbaum was transferred to Mr. R. C. Stockton, the firm name changing to Johnston & Stockton. This house did a large business, extending over the west and south. They published books extensively, both school and miscellaneous, their catalog comprising many hundreds of volumes. The first power-press west of the Alleghenies was set up by them, and was moved by steam. They also for many years manufactured paper at Fallston, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Among other enterprises outside of his regular business, Mr. Johnston was the principal owner of a line of stage-coaches running between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
In 1839 and the year following Mr. Johnston was treasurer of Pittsburgh. In 1841 he was elected treasurer of Allegheny County, and served the term of two years. Again in 1846 he was city treasurer, and, excepting for a few months in 1847, he held this position continually until the close of 1851. At the first organization of public schools (1835) he became a director of the First ward schools, and held the position many years, serving as secretary most of the time. He declined a nomination for mayor tendered him in 1843, when his election was well assured, the position being altogether unsuited to his taste. In politics he was a whig; in 1824 he voted for John Quincy Adams, while his father, an old-time democrat, espoused the cause of Jackson. When, in 1829, his brother-in-law, Mr. Eichbaum, took an active part with Harmer Denny, Edward Simpson and others in forming the anti-masonic party, Mr. Johnston also fell in with this movement, and it was as a candidate of this party that he was elected treasurer in 1841. Commissioned in 1821 captain of the Pittsburgh Blues, he for a number of years was associated with that historic company. During the last twelve years of his life he was a trustee of the First Presbyterian Church, and in much of this time he occupied the double position of secretary and treasurer. During the erection of the church edifice he was treasurer of the building fund, and was among its liberal contributors.
General Notes: Wife - Mary Nelson
She was a niece of the late Maj. William Graham, Jr., in whose residence from childhood she had been an inmate.