10/30/2026
William Bernard Johnston, the fourth son of John Johnston, is a bit of a mystery. Though there are more images of William (as an older man) than of any of the other boys, there are very few written references to him. William was born on January 22, 1824 at Upper Piqua, OH and seems to have followed the path of several of the other boys - schooled at home and an Ohio college, and then sent out to learn about buying and selling; finally, to establish his own business. He is listed in the 1880 census as a 'fine European merchant'. His business location was Cincinnati, first in a store with his brother James known as Johnston Brothers, and then, later, on his own. The location of Johnston Brothers was Pearl Street. Pearl Street Market, founded in 1816, was the oldest public market in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Market occupied the middle of Pearl Street between Broadway and Sycamore. The market was later torn down to make way for Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium.
William married Josephine Brownell at Piqua, OH, Nov. 20, 1866. They had two children, Cornelia and William Jr. Neither child married. William Jr. and Cornelia lived with their mother until her death, and after that, with their maternal aunt.
These images show the graves of William B. and his family in the Forest Hill Union Cemetery in Piqua OH.
