William Freame Johnston (1808 - 1872)

Born 29 Nov 1808 in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 25 Oct 1872 at age 63 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Preceded by 10th Governor Francis R. Shunk

William F. Johnston 11th Governor of Pennsylvania 1848—1852

Succeeded by 12th Governor William Bigler

Biography

William Johnston is Notable.

William Johnston was one of the eleven children born to Elizabeth Freame and Alexander Johnston. He married Mary Montieth. He was Senate Speaker in the Pennsylvania state legislature, and became governor of Pennsylvania when Governor Francis Shunk resigned.

From a History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (needs editing):

William Freame Johnston, the third Governor of Pennsylvania under the constitution of 1838, from July 9, 1848, to Jan. 20, 1853, was born at Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., on the 29th of November, 1808. He was the son of Alexander Johnston, Esq., of Kingston House, Unity township, and of his wife, Elizabeth Freame, and an account of his ancestry will be found in the sketch of Alexander Johnston, which has just been given. The subject of this sketch was in early boyhood taught by a kind and good mother that the cardinal duties were to obey God's commands, to honor parents, and to love native country. His common school and academic education was limited, but he had from youth an ardent taste for reading, and being blessed with vigorous powers of mind and body, he was enabled by great diligence to acquire a vast fund of information, which served him instead of elaborate training. He studied law under Maj. John B. Alexander, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1829, in his twenty-first year. Shortly afterwards he removed to Armstrong County, where he engaged in the practice of law, soon rising to a position of commanding influence. He was appointed by Attorney-General Samuel Douglass, and subsequently by Attorney-General Lewis, district attorney for Armstrong County, which office he held until the expiration of Governor Wolf's first term. For several years he represented the county in the Lower House of the Legislature, and in 1847 was elected a member of the Senate from the district composed of the counties of Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, and Clear- field.

As a legislator, Mr. Johnston was bold and original, not beholden to precedents, and was an acknowledged leader. During the financial crisis which arose during the Presidency of Martin Van Buren many expedients were adopted and many plans proposed to alleviate the wide-spread effects of that disaster. Then Mr. Johnston came forward with a proposition to issue relief notes, for the payment or refunding of which the State pledged its faith. This he advocated with his usual energy and logical acuteness, and though a majority of the Legislature was politically opposed to him, it was adopted and gave instant relief. It was designed as a temporary expedient, and as such was remarkably successful. As the originator of this measure and its special advocate, he acquired a reputation for financial skill and ability throughout the Commonwealth, its fortunate result serving only the more widely to circulate his fame.

In 1847, Mr. Johnston was elected president of the Senate. By a provision of the constitution, if any vacancy occurred by death or otherwise in the office of Governor, the Speaker of the Senate should be- come the acting executive officer. Governor Shunk, in the extremity of an incurable disease, resigned his office on the last day possible to allow of anew choice at the ensuing fall election, and that day was Sunday. From this complication of affairs arose questions of great constitutional importance. It appeared to be a good opinion that the Speaker of the Senate could hold the office of acting Governor until the election of the next year, but not wishing to hold the office one moment longer than the popular will seemed to dictate, he determined to avoid every occasion of a charge of selfishness and ordered the immediate election. The election thus ordered resulted in the choice of Mr. Johnston for the full term of three years.

He early and persistently, as Governor, took an active and very material interest in the development of the mining and manufacturing interests of the State, and his messages evince the solicitude he had for the public prosperity, and are standing memorials of his practical business and financial views. In all things he was jealous of the honor and renown of the Commonwealth, but he was particularly solicitous for the safety of the records of the Colonial and State government, which until his time existed only in manuscript. In his message of 1851 he recommended that those records worth preservation should be arranged, edited, and printed at the expense of the State. In compliance with this recommendation, an act was passed authorizing the appointment of a suitable agent to select and superintend their publication. Mr. Samuel Hazard, a gentleman of taste and ability well suited to the execution of the trust, was delegated, and under his supervision twenty-eight volumes of "Colonial Records" and "Pennsylvania Archives," containing a vast amount of original papers of incalculable value and interest, were published.

Governor Johnston deserved much credit for the successful manner in which he managed the financial affairs of the State during his administration. Upon his accession the debt was over forty millions, having been increased eighteen millions during the preceding nine years. The interest on this vast sum was regularly paid.

His political course during his first term had been so satisfactory to the party by whom he was supported that he received the nomination for re-election, but was defeated by a small majority. Upon retiring from office he entered upon an active business life, and was engaged at different periods in the manufacture of iron, boring for salt, the production of oil from bituminous shales, and latterly in refining petroleum. Under his presidency the Allegheny Valley Railroad was constructed from Pittsburgh to the town of Kittanning. During the civil war he took an active part in organizing troops, and, as chairman of the Executive Committee of Public Safety, superintended the construction of the defenses at Pittsburgh. In connection with Mr. John Harper, he became responsible for the ammunition which was sent to West Virginia at a critical juncture in the fortunes of that State, and which materially aided in preserving it from being overrun by the Confederates. He was appointed by President Andrew Johnson collector of the port of Philadelphia, the duties of which office he for several mouths discharged, but through the hostility of a majority of the Senate to the President, he was rejected by that body, though ample testimony was given that the office was faithfully and impartially administered.

He was married on the 12th of April, 1832, to Miss Mary Monteith. The offspring of this marriage were five sons and two daughters.

Sources

• William Johnston on Wikipedia
• Jordan, J. W. and Boucher, J. N. History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Publishing, 1906. Pages 648-50.
• Find A Grave Memorial# 10611650
• "Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh City Deaths, 1870-1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZ74-2MP : accessed 7 March 2016), William F. Johnston, 25 Oct 1872; citing v 5 p 420, Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh; FHL microfilm 505,818.