Andrew P. Johnson was a prominent farmer of the town of Rutland. He was was born on October 18, 1846, the son of John and Bertha Anderson of Ellstaate, Sweden. Andrew spend his youth and young manhood in Norway and Sweden as one of seven children: Mary, the oldest daughter, lives in Norway; Andrew P. and Lewis in Rutland; Tillie, in Madison, Wisconsin; Sophia, in Norway and Charles in Michigan. The youngest son, Edwin, died in infancy.
Andrew married Miss Louise Torgerson, daughter of Andrew Torgerson, in 1970. They went on to have nine children who were educated in the Rutland and Stoughton schools and the family attend the Lutheran church.
Andrew attended the common schools, and when a young man, went to the forest district of Norway, where he worked in a saw-mill until 1881 when he moved to Spring Lake, Michigan where he continued to work in mills. After three years in Spring Lake, he crossed Lake Michigan and located in Stoughton, where he worked in a wagon-shop. Three years of farm life in the town of Dunn followed, three more years in the town of Dunkirk and then another period in the town of Dunn.
His next location was Oregon, Wisconsin and in March of 1902 purchased 200 acres in Rutland where he raised animals and produce.
Mr. Johnson was a Republican in his political affiliations but was not an active politician.
Sources referenced:
- 1906 History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Western Historical Association, Madison, WI, p. 460 accessible at https://archive.org/details/historyofdanecou02keye