John A. Johnson: An Uncommon American Main Menu Introduction Settlement in Wisconsin Entrance Into Politics Civil War Business Endeavors Fuller and Johnson Company Gisholt Machine Company The Public School

Early Days

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John Anders Johnson was born on April 15, 1832, on a small farm in Eik, Rogaland, Norway to Anders Jensen and Aaste Bjørnsdatter Killingkoven. John spent a lot of his youth with an aunt and uncle who lived on the Gisholt farm. With difficulties facing the family due to political reforms in Norway, the family reached out to an old neighbor who was swayed by “America fever” after his daughter settled in Wisconsin. The trip for the Johnson family was expensive for a family of their size. Ole Vale agreed to help finance the trip. In Johnson’s memoirs, he recalled the trip costing $100 for the entire family. In 1844, they left on the ship “Salvator” out of Porsgrunn, Norway. On July 5, 1844, they arrived in the New York harbor after being on the boat for six weeks. Now, they started their journey to Wisconsin. 

The large Johnson family who made the trek to the United States included: 
– Anders (40)– Aaste (36)
– John/Jens Anderson Jensen Skibsnæs (12) 
– Oliver (10)
– Hans (8)
– Ole (6)
– Inger (1)
– Aunt Mari Bjørnsdatter Killingkoven (22)

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