IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - An eastern Iowa county supervisor says he’d like to see a public discussion about whether his county should have a different namesake.
Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan tells the Iowa City Press-Citizen he’s not necessary advocating for a change, but he’d like to see what the public thinks about naming the county after a different Johnson.
Johnson County was named in 1837 for Richard Mentor Johnson, a U.S. House member, senator and vice president under President Martin Van Buren. Johnson also was a slave owner and colonel during the War of 1812, credited with killing the leader of the Native American resistance.
Sullivan suggests in his weekly email newsletter the county could instead be named after President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson or civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson.
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Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, https://www.press-citizen.com/
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