Benjamin Newhall Johnson (June 19, 1856 – February 19, 1932) was an American attorney and historian who owned what would become
Breakheart Reservation
Breakheart Reservation is a public recreation area covering in the towns of Saugus and Wakefield, Massachusetts. The reservation features a hardwood forest, two freshwater lakes, a winding stretch of the Saugus River, and scenic views of Bos ...
. He was also President of the Lynn Historical Society for 25 years and the President-General of the
Sons of the American Revolution
The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), is a federally chartered patriotic organization. The National Society, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Louisvi ...
from 1931 to 1932.
Early life
Johnson was born on June 19, 1856, in
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is the eighth-largest List of municipalities in Massachusetts, municipality in Massachusetts, United States, and the largest city in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line ...
, to Rufus and Ellen (Newhall) Johnson. His maternal grandfather was businessman, abolitionist, politician, and writer
Benjamin F. Newhall. Johnson grew up in
Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus is a New England town, town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 28,619 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Saugus is known as the site of the first integrated iron work ...
, and attended public schools there. He went on to attend
Chauncey Hall School and
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...
.
He graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
in 1878 ''cum laude'' with a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in philosophy.
He went on to attend the
Boston University School of Law
The Boston University School of Law (BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston. Established in 1872, it is the third-oldest law school in New England, after Harvard Law School and Yale Law School. Ap ...
. He completed his legal studies with the firm of Ives, Lincoln & Huntress and was admitted to the
Essex County Bar on March 31, 1880.
Business and legal career
After being admitted to the bar, Johnson opened a law office in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
.
From 1882 to 1884, Johnson was a partner of the firm Ives, Johnson, & Ives. After the death of Stephen P. Ives, Johnson continued alone until 1889, when he became associated with W. Orison Underwood. The two formed the firm of Johnson & Underwood shortly thereafter. In 1894, Robert P. Clapp became associated with the firm and three years later it became Johnson, Clapp & Underwood. With this firm, Johnson focused on
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services
** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money
* a dose of advertising ...
and railroad law. In 1919, Underwood retired and Frederick Manley Ives, the grandson of Johnson's first partner, replaced him.
In addition to his legal career, Johnson served a president of the Carver Cotton Gin Company, vice president of the Essex Trust Company of Lynn, the Lynn Institute for Savings, and the Lynn Gas and Electric Company. He was also a director of the Atlantic National Bank of Boston and the Boston Woven Hose and Rubber Company.
Historian
Johnson had a deep interest in the histories of Lynn and Saugus. He was a charter member of the Lynn Historical Society. He was the organization's vice president from 1898 to 1899 and was its president from 1900 to 1909 and again from 1918 to 1932.
In 1929, Johnson served as chairman of the executive committee for the Tercentenary celebration of the settlement of The Third Plantation. That spring he traveled to
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and on behalf of the city of Lynn and by the appointment of
Lynn Mayor Ralph S. Bauer, he arranged a visit with
Marchioness Gwladys Townshend, the mayor of
King's Lynn
King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...
. In connection with the celebration, Johnson constructed and presented a brick, fire-resistant museum to the Lynn Historical Society.
Johnson served a president of the Old Essex Chapter and the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and served on the executive committee of the National Committee. In May 1931 he was elected President-General of the S.A.R.
In this role he was especially active during the Sesquicentennial of the
Siege of Yorktown
The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...
. He made the presentation address at the unveiling of a tablet at Yorktown's
Old Custom House in honor of Admiral
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, Marquis of Grasse-Tilly, KM (13 September 1722 – 11 January 1788) was a French Navy officer. He is best known for his crucial victory over the Royal Navy at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781 during t ...
on October 17, 1931.
He was also a member of the Breed Family Association and the
Society of Colonial Wars
The General Society of Colonial Wars is a patriotic society composed of men who trace their descents from forebears who, in military, naval, or civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, d ...
.
Civic involvement
Around the same time he began his law practice, Johnson settled in Lynn.
He was a member of many of the city's social clubs, including the Park and Oxford clubs of Lynn. He was president of the Oxford Club, which was Lynn's largest social club, from 1890 to 1893.
In 1894, Johnson was appointed to the commission to revise Lynn's City Charter.
The only time he held political office in Lynn was when he served on the city's school committee from 1890 to 1893.
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Johnson was a
Four Minute Man for the
Committee on Public Information
The Committee on Public Information (1917–1919), also known as the CPI or the Creel Committee, was an independent agency of the government of the United States under the Wilson administration created to influence public opinion to support the ...
.
In 1907, Johnson was appointed chairman of the Metropolitan Improvement Commission by Governor
Curtis Guild, Jr. The commission issued a report in 1909 that was widely used in the study of improving transportation, harbor facilities, and other developments in
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston, the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England, and its surrounding areas, home to 4,941,632. The most s ...
.
Outside of Lynn, Johnson was a member of the
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
and
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...
s, the
Harvard Clubs of Boston and
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, the
Algonquin Club,
The Bostonian Society
The Bostonian Society was a non-profit organization in Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1881 as a historic preservation group. The Bostonian Society became part of the Revolutionary Spaces organization in 2020.
History
The Bostonian Society was f ...
, the
Boston City Club, the Tedesco Country Club, the
Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains (New Hampshire), White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., wit ...
, and the
American Forestry Association.
Johnson was a
Republican and was involved with many of the party's clubs.
Breakheart Hill Forest
In 1891, Johnson, Micajah Clough, and John Bartlett began purchasing land in the Six Hundred Acres, an area of wilderness in Saugus, for use as a hunting retreat which they would call Breakheart Hill Forest. The partners created two lakes on the property, Upper Pond and Lower Pond, and stocked them with fish. Johnson purchased a log cabin in
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, numbered all of its parts, and brought it down to, where it was rebuilt on the shore of Lower Pond. The retreat was officially opened on June 12, 1891. In the early 1900s the partners increased the size of the property.
Personal life
In 1879, Johnson became affiliated with the First
Universalist Church of Lynn. He was elected a member of the Parish on March 26, 1883, and received into Church membership on April 8, 1887. He was a superintendent of the Church School from 1886 to 1890, a trustee from 1888 to 1893 and in 1895, and chairman of the Board of Management from 1917 to 1921 and again from 1924 to 1928.
On June 15, 1881, Johnson married Ida Oliver of Saugus. They had two children, Romilly and Marian.
Romilly, also known as George Romilli was a composer who wrote the score for the
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
musical ''Floretta'' with George Bagby. Ida Johnson died on May 27, 1894, in Lynn of pneumonia. On June 18, 1896, Johnson married Virginia Vernon Newhall. They had three children, Richard, Benjamin Jr., and Virginia, but only their sons lived into adulthood. Virginia Newhall Johnson died on July 5, 1926.
Death
Johnson died on February 19, 1932, at his home in Lynn after several months of illness.
Civic memorial services were held at the First Universalist Church in Lynn on March 20, 1932.
In his will, Newhall left $35,000 in public gifts – $5,000 to the Methodist Episcopal Church of East Saugus to be used for the salary of the pastor, $5,000 to the town of Saugus for the purchase of library books, $10,000 to
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1879. In 1999, it was fully incorporated into Harvard Colle ...
for the establishment of the Virginia N. Johnson scholarship fund for worthy young women, preferably from Lynn, $5,000 to the First Universalist Church of Lynn, and $10,000 the Lynn Historical Society.
In 1934, the executors for Johnson and Clough sold the Breakheart Hill Forest to the
Metropolitan District Commission for use as a state park.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Benjamin Newhall
1856 births
1932 deaths
American conservationists
American Universalists
Harvard College alumni
Massachusetts lawyers
Massachusetts Republicans
People from Lynn, Massachusetts
People from Saugus, Massachusetts
Phillips Exeter Academy alumni
Presidents General of the Sons of the American Revolution
School board members in Massachusetts
Boston University School of Law alumni
Historians from Massachusetts
Chapel Hill – Chauncy Hall School alumni
19th-century American lawyers