The biography of Levi Johnson is, in effect, the history of Cleveland, and
a sketch of the more active period of his life involves the narrative of
life in Cleveland during the earlier years of its existence. It is,
therefore, of more than ordinary interest.

Mr. Johnson is a native of Herkimer county, New York, having been born in
that county April 25th, 1786. He commenced life in a time and place that
admitted of no idlers, young or old, and in his tenth year it was his
weekly task to make and dip out a barrel of potash, he being too young to
be employed with the others in wood-chopping. Until his fourteenth year he
lived with an uncle, working on a farm, and laboring hard. At that age he
determined to be a carpenter and joiner, and entered the shop of Ephraim
Derrick, with whom he remained four years. At eighteen, he changed masters
and worked with Laflet Remington, and at twenty-one changed again to
Stephen Remington, with whom he worked at barn building one year.

It was whilst he was with Stephen Remington that an event occurred that
shaped Levi Johnson's future life. Considerable interest had been excited
in regard to Ohio, towards which emigrants were frequently seen taking
their way. A brother of Stephen Remington was sent west to spy out the
land and report on its desirableness as a home. This committee of one, on
lands, came to Newburgh, and was so strongly impressed with the advantages
of the place from which Cleveland was afterwards said to be but six miles
distant, that he allowed his imagination to run away with his veracity. He
wrote back that he had struck the richest country in the world; that the
soil was marvelously fertile, and that corn grew so tall and strong that
the raccoons ran up the stems and lodged on the ears out of the way of the
dogs. Great was the excitement in Herkimer county when this report was
received. Such wonderful growth of corn was never known in York State, but