Leonard Beatty Johnson was born Ireland in 1807 and moved to Canada with his parents in 1822. Leonard’s mother was related to John Beatty, who was a pioneer settler of Erie County.

By 1832, Leonard B. Johnson moved to Sandusky where he had a stove and tinware business. Later he started a Lime kiln business. In 1852, Bull’s Island was purchased by Leonard Johnson. He changed the name to Johnson’s Island. In the fall of 1861, the U.S. Government leased several acres of land on Johnson’s Island to be used as a prison for Confederate officers….Full Story