Johnson was a resident of his father's household in 1850. He was 14 years old and worked for his father as a farm hand. By that time, Wyoming County had been separated from Luzerne County. Northmoreland Township became part of Wyoming County. However, the Reed farm was right on the line of the two counties and ended up as part of Franklin Township in Luzerne County (1850 United States Federal Census,Franklin Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, page 483). Johnson was 22 years old when he married in 1858. His wife was 18 year old Almira Snyder (Bredbrenner-Schloss 2000), the daughter of William and Mary Ann Snyder of Dallas Township (1850 United States Federal Census, Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, page 68L). She was born July 1840 in New Jersey (1900 United States Federal Census, Dallas Township, Luzerne County).

Johnson and Almira were residents of Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylania in 1860 (1860 United States Census Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania page 69). Their eldest daughter, Ruth, was probably born there on 25 February 1860. The Reed household in 1860 included Johnson's younger brother Levi, who worked the farm with his brother (and was probably corting his future wife Ura Warden, who lived near-by in the township). Five year old Mary J. Miers (Myers) also lived with the family. Mary was Johnson's neice, the daughter of his sister Sarah M. Reed Myers. The census indicates that Johnson owned real estate valued at $3,200 dollars. His personal estate was valued at $800. Table 1 presents the members of Johnson's household.

Table 1: Household of Johnson and Almira Reed in 1860
1860 United States Federal Census
Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, page 69)

Between 1860 and 1870, Johnson and Almira had at least four more daughters: Lizzie (1861), Clara (1864), Maggie (1866) and Lulu (1870). They resided in Kingston Township in 1870. The census taker visited their farm on 20 June 1870. Johnson was a farmer. He owned a farm valued at $26,000. The census did not indicate that the older girls (Ruth, Lizzie and Clara) were in school. It is possible that Almira schooled them at home. Neither Levi Reed nor Mary Myers resided in the household. Levi was married to Ura Warden by 1870. Mary Myers lived with her mother in the household of her grandparents, Isaac and Mary Read. Table 2 sumaarizes John's household in 1870:

Table 2: Household of Johnson and Almira Reed in 1870
1870 United States Federal Census
Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, page 91B

By 1880, the Reeds had moved across the Susquehanna River to Hanover Township which was located on the south edge of the city of Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County. Johnson and Almira's daughter Ruth had married in about 1878. Her husband was Watson Vincent Howell, the son of W.F.B Howell and grandson of William Green Howell. William Green Howell was the brother of Ruth's great-grandmother, Rebecca Howell Read. She and Watson were second cousins once removed. Ruth and Watson lived next to Johnson and Almira in Hanover Township. At least two additional daughters had been born to Johnson and Ruth between the 1870 and 1880 census. They were Emma, who was born about 1872 and Addie, who was born about 1878. According to the 1910 census, Almira was the mother of eight children. I know of at least 7 daughters (Ruth, Lizzie, Clara, Maggie, Lulu, Emma and addie). The identity of the eight child is currently unknown. In 1880, both Johnson and Watson were farmers. Johnson had a hired hand named Isaac Rineheimer working for him. Isaac was 19 and he boarded with the family.

Table 3: Howell and Reed households in 1880
1880 United States Federal Census
Enumeration District 109, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
page 475A, 15 June 1880

On 28 February 1895, Johnson and Almira bought 117 acres and 48 perches of land in Dallas Township from Almira's parents, William and Mary Ann Snyder. William and Mary Ann had purchased part of their farm from John Warden in April 1852, when Almira was two years old (LCLR Deeds Book 342, page 597). This may have been the family's original homestead in Luzerne County. The 1900 census places Johnson and Almira in Dallas Township. They sold the farm on 26 March 1907 to Rachel R. Wycoff and Dr. Sarah D. Wycoff of Wilkes-Barre (LCLR Deeds Book 436, page 603). In 1910, Johnson and Almira lived on Main Street in Dallas Borough. Johnson still worked as a farmer, although their home was not located on a farm. According to the census, Johnson worked as a wage earner. He and Almira owned their home free and clear of all mortgages. None of their children lived with them (1900 United States Federal Census soundex; 1910 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 10, Borough of Dallas, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, sheets 2B and 3A, 17 April 1910).

Almira Reed died on 8 April 1915 (Wilkes-Barre Record Almanac 1915). Johnson lived another 3 and a half years years. He died 16 October 1918 in the Borough of Dallas, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Johnson's will is filed in Luzerne County in the Office of Wills under J.H. Reed. He wrote his will in January 1907. Eleven years later, when he died, R.L. Cannon, one of his witnesses, was dead. The other witness, C.T. Cannon had moved to Baltimore, Maryland. R.L. Cannon was probably R. Laura Cannon. She also witnessed the deed of sale for the the Dallas property from Johnson and Almira to the Wycoffs on 26 March 1907. R. Laura Cannon was probably related to Leonard Machell Cannon, who as a notary public, notarized the signatures to the deed (LCLR Deeds Book 436, page 603). The court granted Letters of Testamentary to Johnson's executor and son-in-law, J. Wesley Ace, on 11 November 1918. However, in order to admit the will for probate, two men, R.E. Dana and Andrew J. Course, had to appear before William E. Morgan, Register of Wills for Luzerne County and give testimony concerning the signatures of the witnesses, as neither was available to verify the will. The tetimony they gave reads in part "that they were well acquaninted with R.L. Cannon and C.T. Cannon, late residents of Wilkes-Barre City, in the County of Luzerne, State of Pennsylvania..." and "that they are familiar with the handwriting of the said R.L. Cannon and C.T. Cannon having frequently seen them write their names as well as other matters..." After examing the signatures, Dana and Course declared that they were indeed the signatures of R.L. and T.C. Cannon. The will was declared valid and admitted for probate on 12 November 1918. J. Wesley Ace was granted Letters Testamentary on the same day (LCPR, Wills, Book 38, page 236).

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