THE JOHNSON TREE (Note: The symbol (&) is to be read “who married.”) Around 1790 to 1800 the Johnsons, and Minors came from Virginia. The Purdoms from North Carolina, and the Mays from Maryland, settling on the North Rolling Fork. Jacob Johnson had three sons of whom we know; Alexander and Elliott reared large families. We would like to give a little history concerning William Green Johnson, who was born in 1824, and married Lucinda Peyton, a distant cousin of David Crockett and Beauchamp Clark. The family was remarkable in that there were fourteen children. Culture and good manners were placed in the foreground and religion held first rank in the affairs of this home. Squire Bill, as William Green was called, was very prominent in the early affairs of the county. He represented Casey and Russell in the Legislature as a Democrat in 1880. The friends and neighbors all came to him for advice. He provided an excellent table for his family besides giving large quantities of food to the more unfortunates about him. He butchered annually twenty hogs, six sheep, and three steers. He never bought a pound of lard, meat, soap, or sugar during his life. Soap was made from tallow and fats, with lye water from the old inverted house comb ash hopper kept filled with hickory ashes from the old fireplace. Another use of this lye water was to make corn into hominy. A large sugar tree camp supplied all the sugar and syrup needed. Three of his sons made ministers. Kelly was said to have been the best Latin and Greek scholar in Asbury College up to his time. William Green was a forceful advocate of the higher plane of living. He stopped all work on his 500-acre farm and took every one to church when preaching took place. He was a pious Methodist and donated the materials for the little church which bears his name. He was a strong believer in education and did all in his power to create an interest among his neighbors. Truly a fine type of citizen. The large six room house was built in 1864 after three years of labor and is still in good state of preservation. The tree runs as follows: The children of Jacob Johnson were Mahala, Alexander, Elliott, and Sampson & Nancy Purdom. The children of Samson were David, Granville, Sarah, and William Green & Lucinda Peyton. The children of William Green and Lucinda Peyton were David T.; William R. & Florence Minks; John C. & Lulie Railey; Mary E. & J. Weatherford; Nancy Logan & G. L. Minor; Sarah Minor; Sampson & Sarah Penn; Amanda B. & H. C. Bottom; Martha & G. M. Kirkland; Hester Ann & M. M. May; Delia & A. J. May; Georgia A. & D. F. Penn; Kelly; Jas. V. & Nellie Sparrow. The children of Jas. V. and Nellie Sparrow were J. Crite & Anna Kitson; Horace & Lovie Lane; Lewis & Lindsay Dever; Mattie V. & O. B. Purdom; and Mayme & Rev. L. D. Rounds.