A biographical sketch taken from

Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County (Iowa)

Freeborn W. Johnson, a prominent agriculturist and an early settler of Clarke County, is a native of Indiana, born near Spencer, in Owen County, Oct. 7, 1821.  His father, David Johnson, was a native of Virginia, born in 1782, of English descent, and his mother, Patsy (Cutler) Johnson, was born in the State of New York, but removed to Virginia before her marriage.  She died when our subject was a child.  After their marriage the parents went to Ohio, and later removed to Indiana, where the subject of this sketch was born.  Both father and mother died in that state.  Freeborn W. grew to maturity in his native state, receiving such educational advantages as the common schools of that early day afforded.  He was reared to agricultural pursuits, his father being a farmer by occupation.  He was married in his nineteenth year to Electa Barrows, a native of Indiana.  They have six children living—Mattie, wife of Adam Kerns; Moses T., Thomas A., Freeborn W., Cord S., Viola, wife of John Ream.  After his marriage Mr. Johnson settled on land which he brought from a wild state to a well-improved farm, on which he resided till the spring of 1854.  He then moved to Clarke County, Iowa, and entered a tract of land containing 200 acres, four miles northwest of Osceola, and at once began improving his farm, which was then entirely unimproved.  His first house was made of rails, the roof being covered with hay, but later he built a more comfortable residence out of hewed logs, in which he lived until 1857, when he traded a part of his farm for a stock of goods, moved to Osceola, where he carried on a general mercantile business for 20 years.  At the same time he also dealt largely in stock, and at one time drove over 100 head of fat cattle to Chicago.  In 1880 he retired from active business life, since which time he has lived somewhat retired, but still owns considerable stock.  His present fine residence was erected in 1860, this being the first brick house in Osceola, and the second which was built in Clarke County.  Mr. Johnson came to Clarke County with limited means, but being a man of great energy and persevering industry, he has by his own efforts gained a good competency for his declining years.  He is an ardent temperance man and a strong advocate of law and order.  Both he and his wife have been members of the Methodist Protestant church for the past forty-seven years.  Their son, Frederick, enlisted in the Union army in 1862, a member of Company F, Sixth Iowa Infantry.  He received a gun shot wound at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, from the effects of which he died in 1868.  He was a special favorite with all his acquaintances, and his death was a source of universal regret.