More popularly known as Tom, Johnson was born on July 18, 1854 to a wealthy family. He had a very limited formal education, though. His first job was with a street railway company. He owned the patent for trolley pay-box. This invention gave him a huge fortune. Soon, Johnson started investing in railways in many parts of the US such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Indianapolis.
Johnson’s lines became profitable, especially when he introduced fares and transfers. Eventually, Johnson became the owner and president of Detroit City Railways. In 1899, he sold his stakes in Detroit City Railway and moved to Cleveland and joined politics there.
Among his political advocacies included the endorsement of the Kansas City platform and public ownership of public utilities. Johnson retired from politics in 1910.
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