Johnston Family

In 1783, Thomas Johnston petitioned the state of Virginia for 950 acres of land located in what is now South Woodford County, Kentucky.   By law he had to show an improvement, which was either a crop or a cabin.  He fulfilled that part of the agreement, paid 380 lbs, and was granted the land.   He and his wife Elizabeth arrived with four children and no slaves.  Thomas died in 1792, at age 33, leaving Elizabeth instructions to sell livestock and build a house with the proceeds.  By then they'd had twin girls born in 1790. She had the house built and ran the farm until her sons were old enough to assume their inheritance.  David received 300 acres, Silas 250, which had to adjoin David's. Each girl received 100 acres.  

              Silas Johnston served in the War of 1812.  He married Ann Judith "Nancy" Poor of a slave-owning family. She brought enslaved people to the farm.  Silas died in 1837, leaving Nancy a widow with 9 children, in age from 21 to an infant.  Silas was one of the first people buried in the cemetery in the front yard. His will listed the following people as his property: Peter, Lida, Aggy, Andrew, Charley, Caty, Henry, Nancy, Milly, and Washington. The farm was highly productive in the years Nancy owned slaves. Fifteen people are listed on the slave censuses of 1850 and 1860. They account for the highest level of production in the farm's history.  

             William W. (b.1816) ran the farm next.  He never married but is listed in the 1870 census in a household with Katie Jackson, listed as white, and her two mulatto children, Joseph and Rachel.  William handled the legal and financial aspects of the farm. 

             His brother Samuel (b. 1836) took over the farm in 1870.  It appears Samuel and his wife Lou Armstrong, originally from Mercer County, built the frame addition to the house. They had five children who lived: Anna Eugenia, Mary Belle, William Wallace (known as Wallace), Ida, and Helen.  

          W.Wallace Johnston (b.1877) bought his sisters out of their shares of the farm.  As a tobacco farmer, he helped create the Woodford County Tobacco Exchange.  He served as a magistrate for South Woodford County, became the county tax administrator, and was an elder at Troy Presbyterian Church.  Wallace married Martha (Mattie) Wilhoit, daughter of Judge Executive James T. Wilhoit.  Mattie was a social bee who often posted about her travels and teas in the newspaper.  Their children were Jeanette, Alice, James, and Sophia, the last Johnstons to be born and live on the farm.

      Wallace had a heart attack on July 4, 1935, on the sleeping porch and died.  He was 58.  Mattie moved to 142 Broadway Street in Versailles with Sophie and rented out the farm.  Ownership passed on to James, then to his children Sallie and Wallace, and eventually to Sallie's son, Ethan. Tenants farmed the land from 1935 until 2019, when the land was sold in tracts.

       Descendants of Thomas and Elizabeth Johnston include the Ford, Sellers, Howard, Lapsley, Barrows, Hifner, McCauley, Tutt, McDonald, Elliott, Stevenson, Jessee, Powell, Wyles, Darragh, Guyn, Hale, Field, Davis, and Alexander families.

May and her brother Frank were traveling from Sacramento to the Chicago World's Fair when they stopped by the Johnston Farm.  Their father, Silas Newton Johnston, born here, had immigrated to California in late 1850s.   He sold his portion of the farm to his brothers William, David, and Samuel, an invested in land in California, where his family did very well. 

              May wrote: A lovely shepherd dog named Joe ran to meet us. Uncle Sam and Aunt Lu on porch. Uncle Sam looks like Papa, only long whiskers and more gray. Very much like him when he smiles. Does not talk much, but very pleasant. I like to look at him. Aunt Lue so sweet and motherly, felt right at home right away.Large lady with blue gray eyes and light brown hair parted in the middle. Looks quite young. On bed upstairs white spreads like one Mamma has from her. After while Helen and Ida came from school. Helen 14 years old and very large. Ida 12 years--a lively school girl. Both so pleasant. After lunch sat on porch and talked. When about sundown went for walk along the creek. Beautiful trees and woods. Creek 'most dry. Saw crawfish--a snake too! I 'most stepped on it! Some pretty wild flowers--goldenrod--purple aster--etc. Saw old tobacco barn--poke berries on red-stalked plant with green leaves. Quite warm here.