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Descendants of Daniel Wooster or 'Willson' Johns 1 Daniel Wooster 'Willson' Johns b: Dec 02, 1815 in Floyd Co., KY
d: Bef. 1900 in Glencoe, M 2 Isabel B. Johns
b: 1847 in Lawrence Co., KY
Daniel Johns Hills, Minnesota Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to answer my letter. I simply took a long shot hoping that there might be someone in Prestonsburg who could give me some information, and I was indeed happy to receive your letter. My husband and I are planning to take a trip in the early spring through Kentucky, Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains, and my idea has been to locate a few of the places definitely that I recall having heard my father and my grandmother Johns talk about. For one thing, I want to locate the site of my grandfather’s farm if possible. It was near either Catlettsburg or Louisa and I thought that I might take time to look up old records both places. I recall having heard my grandmother Johns talk about the Big Sandy River, the Tug, and Levisa Fork. My grandfather Johns was Daniel Willson Johns. (NOTE: We have him as Daniel Wooster Johns) He was born in Floyd County Kentucky, Dec. 2, 1815. My grandmother was Anna Adkins Johns. She was born in Pike County March 8, 1824. I have an old Johns bible of my grandfather’s but the records are not at all complete. All of their children with the exception of the youngest who was born in Minnesota, were born in Lawrence County, Kentucky. My Grandfather came to Minnesota and settled on a farm near Glencoe during the Civil War, and then sent for his family. Grandmother used to tell us about Kentucky and where they lived but I was a small child and I suppose was more interested in my own concerns. I know now she could have told us so many interesting things, and would give anything to know them now. One story she told us was that grandfather had quarreled with his brothers. His brothers Harry (Harrison Johns, b. 1819) and Louis (James Louis Johns, b. 1814) had slaves while he was a Northern sympathizer, and tried to enlist in the Northern Army. Daniel was elected to the first Kentucky legislature and the political meeting was held in a new farm building of some neighbor. At the outbreak of the Civil War Daniel evidently made himself unpopular with relatives and friends through his sympathy with the North and his attempt to enlist in the Northern Army. At that time he must have been between 45 and 50 years of age. Grandmother told us that his life was threatened so he drove his horses into the hills, buried everything they had of any value and he fled for his life. After many months he sent word to grandmother to come to Minnesota so she took her eight children and her featherbeds and finally reached Minnesota. They settled on a farm between Silver Lake and Koniesky near the town of Glencoe. My grandfather died before I was born, but my grandmother Johns lived with us a great deal of the time and died when I was fourteen, and died a few days before her ninetieth birthday. I can recall how she loved and mourned for Kentucky all of her life. My aunt, Mrs. Belle (Isabelle) McClelland went back to Kentucky and died there. She visited Nancy Hatcher, (Nancy Johns Hatcher was a daughter of Harrison. She was born. Abt. 1851 and married Harry Hatcher. They lived at the mouth of Mud Creek.) a cousin, at one time. As I can remember she was at our home only a time or two. My sister sent me some notes she had about father’s family. She mentions Daniel’s brothers as Harry, Louis, who both had slaves. Then there are the names Thomas, who did not marry, and Johns who was a merchant at Prestonsburg. (She is confusing generations here. Thomas and Johns were the sons of Thomas P. Johns and Elizabeth Graham and were nephews of her grandfather, Daniel.) In your letter to me you told me that John was your grandfather and a nephew of Daniel, Harry and Lewis. Your great grandfather must also have been a brother of theirs and was he John? Do you happen to know who Thomas was? A few years ago when we lived in Luverne Minnesota one of my neighbors was a Mrs. Chunn, who told me that her father was a doctor, William Johns. They lived with the grandfather Thomas Johns near Ridgeville Ohio, which is not far from Cincinnati. Mrs. Chunn was Ida Johns and she had a brother William who died long before I knew her. She told me the same family story I had heard as a child. When the original member of the Johns family came to this country there was an estate which reverted to the English crown for some reason or other. Mrs. Chunn said it was due to some technicality such as the spelling of the name. The family came originally from Wales. (This is pure family lore. Long research does not prove this out.) Do you know further particulars about that part of our history? I have written to Ridgeville Ohio for information and received a very nice letter from the Lebanon Historical Society. The P.O. at Ridgeville no longer exists but this museum has the complete history of Thomas Johns family, description of his lands, etc.,, and they told me that there are two old houses still standing on the land, either one of which might be the original house Thomas built. Mrs. Chunn told me that her grandfather, Thomas, was a woodcarver, and all of the woodwork in the house was carved out of walnut I the rope and tassel design. I have wondered if Thomas was a brother who drifted away from his family in his youth and lost touch with the rest of them. Anything at all that you could tell me about the Johns’s would interest me greatly. I would particularly like to know who the first Johns was who came to this country. I don’t know who my great grandfather was, the father of Daniel, Harry and Louis. My sister tells me that he and his wife came from Virginia and must have settled in Floyd County, Kentucky. I realize I have written at such length that I may have burdened you with my curiosity. But if you could give me some of the answers I should certainly be delighted. Thank you again for your kindness in answering my letter, and may I hope for another answer if it just isn’t too much trouble. Sincerely yours,
Ruth Johns Hammer Hills, Minnesota Letter from Ruth Johns Hammer to Evelyn Johns Salisbury, 2 February, 1953 Dear Evelyn: I am sure you have given me up as a bad job long before this. I have finally copied the information you so kindly lent me last spring and hope you will forgive me for being so awful about not return it to you long ago. Thank you so much for letting me take it; I really appreciate it. Sid and I were both happy to get your Christmas Greeting, and to know that Floyd County is still flourishing. We both thought that what we saw of Kentucky was so lovely that I would be very happy to take the same trip all over again but I am afraid that we will have to wait a while. I think I wrote to you about meeting a cousin Johnny Johns (John Benjamin Johns, born 1878 to James C. and Belvadora Williamson Johns, Lawrence Co., KY) in Louisa. He was very kind to us and took us all around. He wrote to me for a while but I have not heard from him now since about the middle of the summer. He was a man of 73 and I thought that he might have fallen ill. Last week I was surprised to receive a letter from a Mr. Hiram Johns (Hiram Williamson Johns, born 1890, Lawrence Co., KY), a younger brother of Mr. Johnny’s. He is in Metropolis Illinois working for a big power dam construction company. His son and his wife are also there and the son is engaged in the same work. Hiram is a man of 63 but assured me he didn’t look a day over 40. He and his son want to come to visit us next fall during the pheasant season and we will be very glad to have them although we can’t guarantee pheasants as the hunting has not been too good the last few years. Hiram says his home is in Grayson, Kentucky and his wife is there keeping the home fires burning while he works in Metropolis, Illinois. He also said that he had visited relative Christmas time in Louisa and had seen his brother John and had learned of us through him. Our children landed in San Francisco last week and are on the last lap of their journey home from Hawaii. Young Sid and his wife have decided that they are through with service. According to some new legislation he would have to stay in the Air Corps until he is 65—before he thought that he would be able to retire at the age of 40. His term of enlistment is up so they came home. We can scarcely wait to see them and the three small grand daughters. We expect them to arrive some time next week and I am busy stowing food into the freezer so I can get meals on the table without becoming completely distracted in the process. We live so quietly that we will have to get used to a little excitement all over again. My brother and his wife were here from South America last summer and we enjoyed them so much. Their daughter was married in Utah and they went to the wedding of course, and also visited my sister and her family in San Bernardino and their son in California before returning to Minnesota and finishing their visit with us. So we had a busy and happy summer. My brother and my husband are the same age and as we grew up in the same block they are still very close to one another, so we have fun when he comes. We went up North fishing for part of the time, and caught very few fish but had a fine time at a beautiful lake in a nice cabin. We both remember with such pleasure our pleasant afternoon with you in Prestonsburg and hope that you all keep well. Please give our warmest regards to your mother and Sid joins me in best wishes to both you and your husband. We are planning a trip through New England next fall when the hard woods are turning, if nothing happens to make us change our plans. Neither of us like to travel in hot weather—either early spring or autumn suits us both. We think we will drive to Duluth and take our car on the boat to Buffalo-tour New England and drive back through Pennsylvania. I know you are such a busy person but I would be so pleased to hear from you whenever you do have the time, and to know how all of your family are. Affectionately, Ruth Hammer These letters broaden our knowledge of why Daniel left the family. I wish Ruth had written more details and names of the people she referred to. As more documents surface, the facts may become more apparent. K
More information on this family: From George Johns: 1870 Census for Rich Valley , McLeod , Mn. Johns , Clayton 21 M W Farmer 100 Kentucky 1880 Census for Rich Valley ,McLeod County , Mn. Johns , Daniel W. W.
M 64
Farmer
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Anna Johns Allen, daughter of Daniel
and Anna Adkins, Johns.