John S. Johnson
John S. Johnson was an early American cyclist and speed skater.
He was the first to bicycle 1-mile in less than two minutes, or 1:56.6. This happened in 1892 at a racing track in Independence, Iowa. Johnson was also a world record holder in speed skating, and won world championship titles in both sports. Later in his career, Johnson rode for racing teams sponsored by the bicycle manufacturers E.C. Stearns Bicycle Agency of Syracuse, N.Y., and Schwinn Bicycle Co. of Chicago. He was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was of Swedish ancestry. He retired from competitive cycling in 1900. He died January 17, 1934, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is buried in Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Section 11, Lot 828, Grave 1. His wife, Jennie V. Johnson, is buried next to him in Grave 2. His headstone has the silhouette of a bicycle, and an ice skate, carved into it.
