Johnston, George, 1796-1861.

George Johnston was the son of John Johnston and the daughter of Waub-o-jeeg, a prominent chief of the Lake Superior Chippewas. George was born in the Sault Sainte Marie area in 1796. He was formally educated in the English tradition in Montreal. George returned to Sault Sainte Marie in 1808. His family was an important part of the Old Northwest Territories. He was acquainted with the dominant cultures of the area and spoke fluent French, Chippewa, and English. George was also well acquainted with the geography of the Upper Great Lakes. He worked as an interpreter, explorer, and collector of Indian folklore for Henry Schoolcraft. During the War of 1812 George served in the British Army. He also survived the engagement at Mackinac Island on Aug. 4, 1814. After 1820, Johnston became an American citizen. With his family, he was largely responsible for placating the local tribes and easing the transition from British to American control. Schoolcraft married Jane Johnston, George's sister, which began a good working relationship between the men and resulted in Schoolcraft's famous books on Indian ethnology, based mostly on information provided by George. Johnston began a controversial career in the Indian service when he was appointed by Schoolcraft as an Indian sub-agent at the LaPointe agency on Lake Superior. When the agency was discontinued he was appointed to various jobs in the Indian service at the Sault and Mackinac, as a government carpenter at Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan, and as an interpreter for a U.S. survey party. He was dismissed from most government jobs under controversial circumstances. In the 1830s Johnston began to petition the government for payment of services dating back to 1826. He also maintained property purchased in a controversial deal with Indians. The debts were not settled in his favor. Johnston unsuccessfully tried fur trading and exploring on the Lake Superior copper range. His last business venture was a boarding house run out of the old Baptist Mission, 1855-1860. Johnston died when he became lost at night in a blizzard in 1861. (This information is from the biography of George Johnston, from the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University's online website, viewed on June 20, 2007.)

From the description of Miscellaneous collection, 1814,1861. (Clarke Historical Library). WorldCat record id: 144684857

Sub-Indian agent at La Pointe, Wisconsin, later surveyor of Indian lands in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and interpreter among the Chippewa Indians.

From the description of [Journal, 1824-1827] [microform]. (Clarke Historical Library). WorldCat record id: 52444382