| THE JOHN J. JOHNSON, JR. FAMILY
(Pages 305-318) THIS CHAPTER: John "Johnny" Jackson Johnson, Jr. was born on May 30, 1860, in Nassau County, Florida, the son of John "Cherokee" Jackson Johnson and Elizabeth "Betsy" Douglas. The family story of John "Cherokee" Jackson
Johnson and Elizabeth "Betsy" Douglas is the subject of Chapter Two. 
(Page 307)
Johnny Johnson married Emily Tomlinson on August 16, 1888, in Charlton County, Georgia. The proceeding is a copy of Johnny and Emily's marriage license found in Book A, page 172, of the official records of Charlton County.
Emily Tomlinson was born June 11, 1866, at Traders Hill in Charlton County, Georgia, daughter of Levin Tomlinson and Sarah Daugharty. The family story of Levin Tomlinson and Sarah Daugharty is the subject of Chapter Three. Johnny Johnson's father died on April 23, 1884, and is buried in the Johnson/Tomlinson Cemetery in Nassau County, Florida. He had acquired over twenty-nine hundred acres in Hilliard in western Nassau County and upon his death
his vast landholdings were divided among the children of the family. Johnny was bequeathed Section 41, the original Johnson homestead, including the family house and the farmland and forestland of 273 acres. Johnny assumed the responsibility of making a home for his mother Betsy Douglas Johnson. She passed away during the 1890s and is buried with her husband Cherokee in the Johnson/Tomlinson Cemetery.
Johnny J. Johnson and Emily Tomlinson were parents to Alexander Andrew, born on February 15, 1885; Arrie Belle, born on October 20, 1889; Duff Albert, born on March 19, 1891; Allie, born on November 17, 1892; Jackson "Jack" John, born on January 14, 1895; Amanda, born on May 16, 1897; Gertrude, born on February 2, 1899; Lelia Walker, born on March 1, 1901; Sandol Emily, born on May 5, 1903; and Virue Callie, born on June 11, 1906. Martha Tomlinson, Emily's sister made her
home with Johnny and Emily's family. 
JOHNNY JOHNSON WITH HIS SONS ALEX, DUFF AND JACK
(ca. 1898)
(Page 309)
Times were very difficult for Johnny Johnson and his family during the closing years of the 19th century. Johnny struggled to make a living from the land to maintain his family.
(Chart page 310)
THE JOHNNY J. JOHNSON FAMILY
Jack, Alex, Duff, Johnny, Emily, Allie, Amanda
Aunt Martha Tomlinson, Sandol, Virue, Leila
(ca. 1909)
(Page 311)
Johnny's farming was reduced to growing only food for his family, as there was no market for farm products. To sustain the family, John sold much of the virgin timber that was so abundant on his acreage.
Although life was very difficult for the family, Johnny and Emily worked hard to support the education of their children. Most of their children were educated at the nearby one-room Dunns Creek School. Emily's daughter Arrie Belle married Raphord Rowe about 1909. 
THE STUDENTS OF DUNNS CREEK SCHOOL OF 1912
1st Row: Allie Gwynn, Unknown, Virue Johnson
2nd Row : Port Geiger, Lelia Johnson, Sandol Johnson, Unknown, Martin Geiger
3rd Row: Miss Betsy, Allie Johnson, Amanda Johnson, Gertrude Johnson
(Page 312)
Hard work took its toll and Johnny Jackson Johnson, Jr. died on September 29, 1915, at the age of 55. Johnny is buried in the Mill Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Martha Tomlinson, Emily's sister, who had made her home with the family, died about 1915.
Some of the older residents of the area remember Johnny and describe him as tall, strong, straight-backed, and a hard working person. Further, they describe him as having a dark complexion and straight black hair, reflecting perhaps his part Cherokee ancestry. 
THE GRAVE OF JOHNNY JACKSON JOHNSON
(Page 313)
Emily Tomlinson Johnson was left to provide for their large family. In January 1920, all of the children, except Arrie, were living at home with their mother. With many of the boys desiring to leave the homestead and start a life of their own, Emily decided to sell the northern half of Section 41 to Walter C. Hopkins, owner of the Toledo Manufacturing Company of Folkston, Georgia, a timber company. It is
interesting to note that the small stream, which runs from east to west from Route 121, River Road, through section 41, the Johnson homestead, to the St. Marys River, more or less divides the property in half. The small stream has been named the Johnson Branch. The money derived from the sale of the northern half of the Section 41 was distributed among the boys as a stake for their adult ventures. Emily retained
ownership in the southern half of the homestead, containing the family home, for her young daughters and herself. 
EMILY TOMLINSON JOHNSON
(ca. 1917)
(Page 314)
On September 15, 1920, with her health declining and fearing the approach of death, Emily, with court approval, transferred the southern half of Section 41 to
John's brother, Andrew Jackson Johnson to be held in trust for the girls. The exact description of the property that Emily transferred is as follows: Starting at the intersection of Johnson Branch and the eastern boundary of Section 41, Township 3 North, Range 23 East and running west along the run of the branch in said Section 41 to the St. Marys River THENCE south along the St. Marys River to the north boundary of Section 42
THENCE east along the dividing line between Section 41 and Section 42 to the intersection of the eastern boundary of Section 41 THENCE north along the eastern boundary of Section 41 to the point of beginning containing 138 acres and including everything south of Johnson Branch.
Emily Tomlinson Johnson passed away on August 23, 1921. She was interred with her husband John in the Mill Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. As the uncle of the
children of Johnny and Emily Johnson, Andrew was designated the legal guardian of the minor girls Lelia, Sandol and Virue. Andrew was at that time the sheriff of Nassau County. Johnny Johnson and Emily Tomlinson's sons and daughters left the family homestead and traveled in many directions. Daughter Arrie Belle had married Raphord Rowe and together they developed a large farm. Son Alexander moved to Hilliard where he farmed. Son Duff found work with the Florida State Road
Department. Son Jack, already pretty independent as a World War I veteran, developed a logging business and lived near Hilliard. Daughters Allie, Gertrude and Lelia moved to Jacksonville to seek work. Daughters Sandol and Virue went to live with their Uncle A. J. Johnson, their guardian, in Fernandina Beach. Daughter Amanda found work as a domestic and clerk in Campbell's store in St. George, Georgia, located a few miles from Hilliard. Later Amanda married Wilbert F.
Johnson of St. George. The story of the Amanda Johnson and Wilbert Johnson family is contained in Chapter Six. 
THE GRAVE OF EMILY TOMLINSON JOHNSON
(Photo page 316)
Shortly after Emily Tomlinson Johnson died and the family members had left the homestead, Andrew, on behalf of the minor children, sold the remaining parcel of Section 41, to the
Toledo Manufacturing Company. By 1923, the sisters Allie, Gertrude and Lelia had found work and had established a home in Jacksonville. Sandol and Virue lived only a short time with A. J.'s family and then moved to Jacksonville to find work and live with their older sisters.
THE JOHNSON GIRLS
Gertrude, Lelia, Allie, Virue, Amanda, Sandol
(ca. 1923)
(Photo page 317)Mr. Walter C. Hopkins, president of the Toledo Manufacturing Company appointed Freddie Geiger property caretaker for Section 41 soon after he acquired the property in the 1920s. Freddie was the grandson of Martha Johnson Geiger, sister of Johnny. Mr. Geiger served as the Johnson property caretaker for over forty-two years for the
Toledo Manufacturing Company. For several years Freddie made his residence in the old Johnson house but later chose to move to a house of his own. The old Johnson house was no longer used as a residence and was demolished during the 1930s to save it from being used as a refuge for wanderers and perchance to bum. Much of the wood from the home was salvaged and used for construction purposes by Freddie. THIS CHAPTER: |
