Welcome to the Descendants of Henry Clay Johnson Group. We are glad that you decided to pay us a visit.
An important figure in Northern Robeson County history and personal family lore for many people is represented in the name of Henry Clay Johnson. Settling in the Rex Community around 1865, Henry became proclaimed to be “As respected as any white man in this county”. Even years after his death, if you tell Robesonians that you are a Johnson from Rex, many will recount the story of the “Black man up there with all that land!”
Over the generations, some toiled the soil, while others went North in search or better financial fortunes. The family has worked collectively to ensure preservation of the original estate, with additions and improvements by many over the years. The Johnson family has operated several commercial operations in the community over the years, and this entrepreneurial spirit is represented in the many enterprises the clan operates around the country today.
Some parcels of the original estate have been sold over the years as area residents began to build new homes. Their connection to the estate is represented in many land descriptions on parcels in the area identifying the land as ‘a portion of the Henry Clay Johnson Estate’.
The purpose of the group is to educate all generations about the sacrifices of our past. It is our hope and prayer that anyone who investigates Henry Clay Johnson or any of the many stellar stories of American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) will use the experience of the ancestors to inform their decisions today and into the future.
HCJG is a supporter of the Black Land Ownership Movement as well as the F.A.R.M.S movement. We encourage everyone to learn more about these efforts.