DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and friend, this one's worth every mile. Jesse H. Johnson started out in Clarksburg, West Virginia, which is about as far from Texas as a man can get and still be on the same continent.
But in 1868, he came to Texas and put down roots right here in Columbus, Colorado County. And once he arrived, this county apparently decided it had found its man — because it kept handing him jobs for the next several decades running. In May of 1869, he was appointed sheriff of Colorado County.
He held that post through the end of that year, and then — well, the county wasn't done with him yet, not by a long shot. In 1871, Jesse Johnson stepped into something genuinely legendary. He led a cattle drive from Columbus all the way to Abilene, Kansas, and delivered over six hundred head of cattle.
Six hundred. That is a lot of hooves, a lot of dust, and a whole lot of miles of open country between here and Kansas. He came back, apparently unbroken by the experience, and in 1872 he was sworn in as Colorado County Justice of the Peace.
Then in 1873, he married Laura Glenn Harbert — a local landowner of some prominence, and the daughter of an important county judge. He served as district clerk of Colorado County from 1876 to 1882, became a director of the Columbus Meat and Ice Company in 1883, and then served as tax collector from 1886 to 1894. That last position was his final official post in Colorado County — and you'd think that after twenty-five years of public service, a man might just sit on the porch.
Not Jesse Johnson. In 1899, at an age when most folks were winding down, he joined the United States Foreign Service. And then something remarkable happened — this Texas cattleman, this Colorado County sheriff and justice of the peace, became a diplomat.
He served as U.S. Consul in Coaticook, Quebec, Canada from 1899 to 1901. Then Santos, Brazil, from 1901 to 1906.
Then Swansea, Wales, in the United Kingdom, from 1907 to 1910. Then Matamoros, Mexico, from 1910 to 1917. And finally Regina, Saskatchewan, in western Canada, from 1917 to 1923.
That is five consular posts on four different landmasses — from the Texas Gulf Coast cattle country to the coasts of Brazil and Wales, with Mexico and Canada thrown in for good measure. He retired from the Foreign Service in 1923 and came back home to Columbus. He died in Houston, and his body was returned to Columbus by railroad for burial.
A man who drove cattle to Kansas in 1871 and represented his country in Wales and Brazil — and in the end, the railroad brought him home.
What the marker says
Jesse H. Johnson, born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, came to Texas in 1868 and settled here in Columbus, Colorado County. In May 1869 he was appointed sheriff of Colorado County, a position he held until the end of that year. Johnson became a part of Texas' legendary late 19th century cattle industry when in 1871 he led a cattle drive from Columbus to Abilene, Kansas, and delivered over 600 head of cattle. He was sworn in as Colorado County Justice of the Peace in 1872. In 1873 Johnson married Laura Glenn Harbert, a local landowner of some prominence and the daughter of an important county judge. He served as district clerk of Colorado County from 1876 to 1882 and became a director of the Columbus Meat and Ice Company in 1883. His last official position in Colorado County was that of tax collector from 1886 to 1894. Johnson joined the United States Foreign Service in 1899. He served as U.S. Consul in Coaticook, Quebec, Canada (1899-1901); Santos, Brazil (1901-1906); Swansea, Wales, U.K. (1907-1910); Matamoros, Mexico, (1910-1917); and at Regina, Saskatchewan, Western Canada, from 1917 to 1923. Johnson retired from the Foreign Service in 1923 and returned to Columbus. He died in Houston and his body was returned to Columbus by railroad for burial.