Johnston, William S.

Born: 1791-03-13 Middletown, Connecticut

Died: 1869-01-15 Illinois

William S. Johnston was a merchant, real estate investor, businessman, and philanthropist. After receiving an education in the eastern U.S., he settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, which became his home for the next fifty years. He achieved success as a dry goods merchant, then became involved in real estate speculation. He invested heavily in the Cincinnati area, in Covington, Kentucky, and in Chicago, Illinois. Real estate investment became his primary occupation, and his investments yielded high returns over the course of his life. In 1821, he married Clarina Bartow, with whom he had at least seven children. In 1825, he also joined the Cincinnati Water Company and acquired stock in the company. When the city of Chicago purchased the company in 1840, he received high returns on his stock investments. He died in Lake Forest, Illinois.

The Biographical Encyclopædia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century (Cincinnati, OH: Galaxy, 1876), 546-47; Gravestone, Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, OH.