Nels Johnson

Nels Johnson was a clockmaker in Manistee, Michigan, United States. He was the manufacturer of Century tower clocks, clocks designed to last 100 years!

Biography

Early life

Johnson was born in Nordrup (near Skaftelev in Slagelse Municipality on the island of Zealand), Denmark, about 50 miles from Copenhagen on November 26, 1838. Indications are that his second name in Denmark was Johansen and he anglicized his name to Johnson after his arrival in America. It is unknown if his names are derivatives of his parent's names. He was the oldest child of a poor family and had five siblings.

When Johnson was seven years old, he was kicked out of the family since his parents could no longer support a large family. Johnson had to support himself by working for other farmers, caring for sheep, geese, and cattle. He wore wooden shoes in the winter and was barefoot in the summer months. Johnson, like many other young boys, wanted to become an organ grinder with a monkey. He also wanted to travel with a circus or to be a bugler or drummer boy in the army or to see the world as a sailor. His parents wanted him to become a shoemaker. Ultimately, he decided to become a blacksmith.