The eighth child (of thirteen children) and second son of Captain Othniel and Anna (Elmer) Johnson.

His little sister Lovice died in 1825.

William Wallace kept diaries from the age of 24 in 1838 (the year of his marriage) to his death at age 86 in 1900, outling many details of early life in the township of Greenfield, Wisconsin (some of which are on file at the West Allis Historical Society). They serve as a lasting legacy.

William Wallace Johnson can be considered a seminal personality in the development of Greenfield Township. He was a man of letters and great religious conviction, having proven himself devoted to issues of education in his native Massachusetts.

Married at age 24 to Abigail Clark (b. 13 Jan. 1812) on Oct. 24, 1838 in Buckland, Mass.

On the urging of his brother Edwin, William, his wife and daughter, migrated to Milwaukee County in Wisconsin Territory (along with his sisters Thetis and Marion), on 17 May 1842, and settled in North Greenfield. William and his family built a log house on an adjacent farm to his brother Edwin, who arrived first in the territory in Aug/Sept. 1841, in what is now West Allis (area of South 84th St. at Beloit Road). The Johnson brothers worked for the community good. Both brothers were active in school affairs. William was a school board member and school commissioner (1842-1848) and a teacher in the Greenfield township and contructed with his own hands the Honey Creek School in 1843 and the Johnson School in 1847. He also served as town treasurer (1847) and town clerk (1848-1855). He was ordained a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church in 1859. From 1849 to 1900 he was Secretary and trustee of the Honey Creek Cemetery Association. Finally, in 1879-1880, he served in the Wisconsin State Legislature.

William's brother Homer died from a horse accident in July 1843 (age 40) and in Sept. 1843, sister Anna arrived in Milwaukee County.

William and Abigail had six children, all born in Greenfield except for the eldest; their only daughter Mary. Sadly, Mary died in 1850 at age 9.

Mary Clark (b. 1841, d. 1850)
Alvan Othniel (b. 1843 d. 1874)
William Wallace II (b. 1844 d. 1900)
Abner Morse (b. 1846 d. 1936)
Wesley (b. 1847 d. 1932)
Edward Payson (b. 1849 d. 1903)

Eldest son Alvan had an accidental death in March 1874, just before his 31st birthday. He and his wife raised their three grandsons, Alvan (b. 1867), Abner (b. 1869) and Arthur (b. 1872) to adulthood. Alvan's widow remarried and had additional children.

Election to the Assembly:

In the 1878 general election, Johnson ran as a Republican and would finish tied for first place with the Democratic candidate, Michael J. Egan, ahead of two others. A special election between Johnson and Egan was ordered by Governor William E. Smith. Johnson would emerge as the winner.

A grandson, Alvan Clark Johnson, died in Jan. 1879 at age 3.

William's wife Abigail was the artistic member of the family and was known for her work in pastels and watercolors. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Oct. 1888. She died 24 Sept. 1889 at age 77.

A granddaughter, Lillian, passed away at age 18 in 1890 and a grandson, Orville, died at age 10 in 1891.

Rev. Johnson performed many marriage ceremonies as a minister including the June 1897 wedding of Marion A. Cooper to her cousin Elmer Stanhope (both grandchildren of his sister Marion).

His grandson Arthur N. Johnson died at age 27 in Jan. 1899.

His son William II died in July 1900 (accidental; struck by a railroad train) and his brother Edwin died just 9 days before William in August 1900. Rev. William Wallace Johnson was survived by his sons Abner, Wesley and Edward Johnson. He had 12 surviving grandchildren (the youngest being Marie, (b. March 1900) and 8 great-grandchildren (born between 1894-1900) when he died at age 86. Also survived by his youngest sister, Mrs. Semira Sprague.

NOTE: William Wallace Johnson has an entry on Wikipedia.