K. A. Johnson was born on a farm in the town of Leeds, Wisconsin, in Columbia County.[1] Johnson spent virtually his entire life in Columbia County.[2]
In addition to managing his own farm in Leeds, for many years he also operated a general store in the neighboring unincorporated community of Morrisonville, Wisconsin. He was also president of the Arlington Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and was involved in local politics in Leeds, serving on the town board and as a representative on the county board of supervisors.[1]
In 1901, he moved into the nearby city of Portage, Wisconsin, though he continued his business interests in the Morrisonville area.[3] In 1912, he ran for Wisconsin State Assembly, seeking the Republican Party nomination through the new primary election process. In the September primary, he defeated Elmer E. Haight, who had been the incumbent in Columbia County's 2nd Assembly district[4]—Columbia County's two districts were abolished in the 1911 redistricting, combining into a single county-wide district. He went on to defeat the Democratic candidate George Standenmeyer in the November general election.[1] He represented Columbia County in the 51st Wisconsin Legislature, and ran for re-election in 1914, but lost the Republican primary to Robert Caldwell.[5]
