Johnson was born in 1821 in Haverstraw, New York, United States.
[1] In 1848, the brothers settled land on the Saginaw River and constructed a sawmill there.
[2] They named their settlement "Zilwaukie" as a way to attract confused settlers in search of Milwaukee.
[3] On November 2, 1852, Johnson was elected to the Michigan Senate, where he represented the 29th district from January 5, 1853 to December 31, 1854.
Johnson was elected as one of the first justices of the peace for the township, alongside B. F. Fisher, William H. Marsh, and Casper Schulteis.