South Bend Daily Tribune
Thursday, January 16, 1890

Death of Evan C. Johnson.

Passes Away After a Citizenship of Fifty-Eight Years in South Bend.

Ex-Sheriff E. C. Johnson died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Will Burrow, No. 1418 west Washington street, at half-past six o'clock last evening.  He had been suffering for several years with catarrh of the bladder and kidney disease.  A few days ago he took a severe cold and on Sunday last was forced to go to bed.  His funeral will take place from the Burrow residence to-morrow afternoon at two 0'clock, Rev. N. D. Williamson officiating.

Mr. Johnson had been a resident of South Bend for fifty-eight years, coming here when but a boy of 17.  He was the oldest son of the late Judge Peter Johnson and was born in Brownsville, Pa., April 6, 1814.  When two years old his parents moved to Greene county, Ohio, near Xenia, where the only brother now living in this city, Lea P., was born.  From Ohio the family moved to Richmond, this state, in 1817, and after a ten years' residence there, moved to Logansport in the winter of 1827.  In the fall of 1830 the father came to this place, riding through from Logansport on horseback, and accompanied by his son Evan, who walked.  Judge Johnson liked the location of South Bend, which was then being laid out, and saw that there would be money in a good "tavern" or hotel.  He purchased the lot now occupied by Coonley's drug store and Adler Bros'. clothing store, and running as far west as the Oren & Baker grocery, and in February, 1831, he and his sons, Evan and Lea, the former 17 and the latter but 12 or 14, came here and began the erection of the first frame structure in South Bend.  During its construction the father and two sons lived in a log cabin built directly in the middle of what is now Pearl avenue, and about opposite where Collmer's shoe shop now is.  Lea was too young to do much carpenter work and he officiated as cook.  At that time Col. Taylor's store was on Pearl street, almost midway between the log cabin and the old Muessel building, which was unroofed by the wind last week.  When the house was completed it was named the "Michigan Tavern."  It was a pretentious two-story structure occupying about 40 feet of the lot on Michigan street and perhaps 60 feet on Washington street.  The father moved the rest of his family here and he became the landlord of the hotel, and conducted it, we believe, until it was purchased by Messrs. Koehler & Duey, and its name was changed to the American house." (sic)  It was finally torn away, after standing thirty years, to give place to the present brick structure.

Evan, or "Iv," as he was familiarly called not only assisted in building the first frame house in South Bend, but was one of the builders of the old red brick courthouse, for which his father had the contract, and in which the father officiated for many years as associate judge.  Judge Johnson was an active pioneer and he built several keel boats in which his sons Evan and Lea assisted him.  These boats were used on the St. Joseph between here and the mouth of the river.  The first one built was the "Fair Play" and it launching was a county event, bringing together as many people as Fourth of July celebration.  It was built on Washington street in from of what is now the Oren & Baker grocery and was launched where the old dock is at the foot of the street.  It fact the street was cut down almost to its present grade to permit the running of the boat down to the water on skids.

The subject of this sketch not only made himself useful as a boy pioneer in working on the first frame house, the first court house and the firs keel-boat, but made the first coffin ever made in South Bend  It was not a very elaborate affair but served it purpose to hold the body of an Indian who was murdered down where Leeper's bridge now crosses the river.  A little later he and another young man named William Cartright dug the first grave in the South Bend cemetery, where his remains will be deposited to-morrow afternoon.  The grave was for a child named McCormick.  The young man, while industrious, had his share of fun in the then growing village, but young ladies, excluding Indian maidens, were so scare (sic) here in those days that he went over near Diamond Lake for his wife- a Miss Sarah White, sister of the late John White and of Mrs. Mary White, who is yet living here.  Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson a girl died in infancy and the oldest son, Henry, died early in the war while a member of the 21st Indiana Battery.  Those living are Mrs. William Burrow and Will, "Bootsy" Johnson, of this city, Mrs. Rober Hamilton, of Lafayette, this state, and Mr. Ed Johnson of Chicago.  The mother died several years ago.

When gold was discovered in California the subject of this sketch was one of the first to make a trip across the continent with an ox team, and of those who accompanied him in 1849 only Cassius Caldwell of German township, an W. G. Whitman, now of Chicago, are known to be alive.  On his return from California Mr. Johnson and his brother Pierce built a saw mill near Lakeville and he divided his time between there and this city for several years.  He and his brother Lea also ran a grocery on Washington street for some time..  Both were active whigs, and in 1856 E. C. Johnson succeeded the late B. F. Miller, who had served two terms as the first whig sheriff the county had since its organization who was elected as a whig, although the county was invariably carried by the whig presidential candidates.  Mr. Johnson served two terms as sheriff and also served several terms as marshal after South Bend became a city.

Judge Johnson's family was a large one.  There were six sons-Evan, Lea, Pierce, Joshua, Israel and Peter, who grew to adult estate and live past the middle age.  There were two daughters; one, Eliza, died a young woman and the other, Mrs. L. M. Taylor, passed away only a few years ago.  Of the eight children only Lea, of this city, Israel, of California, and Peter, of Pierre, Kansas, are now living.

The deceased was one of the first, if not a charter member of St. Joseph Lodge, No. 45, A. F. & A. M., and the funeral services to morrow afternoon will be under the auspices of this lodge.

Pam White
Email:  tommysgirl95@comcast.net