John Johnston

John Johnston (1762–1828) was a wealthy and successful British fur trader for the North West Company. He operated a trading post at what is now Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan when it was still Canadian territory before the War of 1812. After the border became redefined, Johnston was a prominent citizen and leader in the Michigan Territory of the United States, although he never became a US citizen.

He had married Ozhaguscodaywayquay (Woman of the Green Glade), daughter of Waubojeeg (White Fisher), a prominent Ojibwe war chief and civil leader from what is now northern Wisconsin. The Johnstons were leaders in both the Euro-American and Ojibwa communities. Johnston's life was markedly disrupted by the War of 1812, as afterward the U.S. prohibited trading by Canadians in its territory.

Early life fur trade Johnston was born in Belfast, Ireland to an upper-class Scots-Irish family. He held in his own right the estate of Craige, near Coleraine in County Londonderry. His father was a civil engineer who planned and built the Belfast Water Works. During John's youth, his mother's brother was Attorney General of Ireland.

As a young man, Johnston emigrated in 1792 to Canada for its opportunities. He had letters of introduction to Lord Dorchester, Governor of the colony. Through him, he met leaders in society, including the magnates of the recently formed North West Company in Montreal, Quebec.

The couple married, after which Ozhaguscodaywayquay took and also used the name of Susan Johnston. Johnston was considered the first permanent European-American settler in Sault Ste. Marie.

The Johnstons' cedar log house on Water Street in Sault Ste. Marie was built in 1796 in a French colonial style. When their eldest daughter Jane married Henry Schoolcraft, the US Indian agent, the Johnstons built an addition for them to live in. Some years later, the Schoolcrafts built their own house in the village. The addition is now the only remaining part of the Johnston house, and it is one of the featured historic houses in the city. Jane Johnston Schoolcraft has been recognized as the first Native American woman poet.

Although the south side of the river became United States territory in 1797 after treaty settlements following the end of the American Revolutionary War, Johnston never became a US citizen. At the time, the border was a fluid area. In those years, Native Americans had separate status and were generally not considered United States citizens. For the people at Sault Ste. Marie after 1797, there was little change in their daily lives or relations with the Ojibwa, except as they received more American explorers.

Over the years Johnston became successful himself, with his fur trading and relations with the Ojibwa enhanced by his wife Susan's family ties to the Ojibwa community. The Johnstons were known as a refined and cultured family, leaders in both the Ojibwa and Euro-American communities, and they maintained a wide range of relations.

As part of their culture of building relationships, the Johnstons welcomed to their home an array of significant players in the region, including surveyors, explorers, traders, governmental officials, trappers, and political leaders. With his wife and her family's help, Johnston developed a broad knowledge of both the Ojibwa ways and the Great Lakes region. He played an integral role in developing the Michigan frontier and was appointed a Justice of the Peace.

Still worried about potential British agitation of Native Americans along the border, in 1822 the US government built and staffed Fort Brady at Sault Ste. Marie. With the fort and troops, other American settlers started to come into the area in greater number. The culture of Sault Ste. Marie changed markedly. Johnston and others who had earlier formed and dominated the community were passed by as the newcomers banded together. The presence of military troops formalized the role of government. The new American residents were reluctant to become involved with the French, Ojibwe, or Métis, and disdained most of the existing society. The parents took care to educate their children in both cultures, and expected them to have opportunities in society equivalent to their standing. Many fur traders sent their children to Montreal for formal education. Because of the father John Johnston's resistance to becoming a citizen of the US, his second son George was shut out of the fur trade as the Americans exerted more control in the area. During the 1820s, George Johnston worked for Henry Schoolcraft in various roles for the US Indian Agency, including as interpreter.

After Johnston's death, his widow Susan Johnston and their son William managed the sugaring and fishing business. The youngest son, John McDougall Johnston, settled on Sugar Island (an island along the St. Mary's River) across from Canada. He was later appointed as the last official US Indian Agent in the area.