SAMUEL JOHNSON, Newburgh, New York.
Samuel Johnson was born in Piermont, New York, March 29, 1848, just about the time the first Erie train was run on the completed section of road ending at that point. His father is William Johnson, a wheelwright and carriage maker, who still resides at Piermont. Mr. Johnson secured a good common school education and at the age of 17 commenced to learn the carpenter's trade, working at it for a period of three years. In the fall of 1872 he accepted a position as fireman on the Erie, and thus entered upon a career that has been highly successful and satisfactory to him. For three months he fired a switch engine in the Jersey City yards, and then was transferred to the Newburgh Branch, where he continued to fire until February 1, 1883. He was then promoted to engineer, and for the next four years ran a freight engine between Newburgh and Greycourt. He was then transferred to a switch engine in the Newburgh yards, which he held until recently, when he was advanced to assistant engine dispatcher at the same point.

In 1877 Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Mary Grinner, daughter of Max Grinner, a machinist of Newburgh. They have a family of three children, of whom Lulu, aged 16, and Samuel, 18, are attending public school, while Joseph W., aged 20, is learning the machinist's trade in the Erie shops at Newburgh. Mr. Johnson is a member of Lodge 469, I. 0. 0. F., of Newburgh, and is one of the leading citizens of that bustling little city. He is a brother of J.W. Johnson of Paterson, New Jersey, the Erie's efficient and popular traveling engineer.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the July, 1926 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
SAMUEL E. JOHNSON -- Samuel E. Johnson died June 7 (1926) at his home in Newburgh, N.Y. The Newburgh News says he was for more than fifty years an engineer on the Erie Railroad and was held in high esteem. He is survived by a daughter, Louise M., and two sons, Joseph W. and Samuel Johnson. The funeral took place June 10 from the home of his son, Joseph, 32 Poplar street, Newburgh. Mr. Johnson's wife, Mary Greiner Johnson, died in 1910.