Edwin Stockton Johnson (February 26, 1857July 19, 1933) was a

United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

Biography

Born in

Owen County, Indiana Owen County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 1920 the United States Census Bureau calculated the mean center of U.S. population to fall within this county. As of the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 21,321. Its co ...

near Spencer, he moved with his parents to

Osceola, Iowa Osceola is a city and the county seat of Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,415 at the time of the 2020 census. Etymology Osceola was named after a Seminole Indian leader of the same name. Osceola is an anglicised form of ...

, in 1857 and attended the public schools. He engaged in the mercantile business, and moved to

Wheeler County, Nebraska Wheeler County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 774. Its county seat is Bartlett. The county was formed in 1877 and organized in 1881. The county was named for Major Daniel H. ...

in 1880 where he homesteaded and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He returned to Osceola, in 1881 and was employed as a bank cashier; in 1884, he moved to South Dakota and established the Citizens' Bank of Grand View,

, and also engaged in agricultural pursuits. He later established a number of banks in South Dakota,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, and Iowa. He studied law, was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

in 1888 and practiced; he was prosecuting attorney of Douglas County in 1892-1893 and was a member of the

South Dakota State Senate The South Dakota Senate is the upper house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 35 members, one representing each legislative district. It meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Composition :''99th Legislature (2025)' ...

in 1894-1895. He retired from the banking business in 1902 and engaged in the real estate and loan business at Platte, South Dakota; he was a member of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

from 1904 to 1916. Johnson was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

in 1912, but was elected as a

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to the U.S. Senate in 1914 and served from March 4, 1915 to March 3, 1921. He was the first Senator popularly elected from South Dakota and also the first Democrat to represent South Dakota in the Senate. He retired from the Senate after his first term. While in the Senate, Johnson was chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims (Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Congresses). He resumed his activities in the real estate and loan business and died in Platte in 1933. Interment was in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery,

Armour, South Dakota Armour is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 698 at the 2020 census. History Armour was founded in 1885. The city was named after Philip Danforth Armour, who was the founder of Arm ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Edwin 1857 births 1933 deaths People from Owen County, Indiana Democratic Party United States senators from South Dakota Democratic Party South Dakota state senators People from Platte, South Dakota People from Osceola, Iowa People from Douglas County, South Dakota 20th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the South Dakota Legislature