Lafayette Johnson was born in Marion, Ohio in 1852 and came to Princeton, Minnesota in his early manhood and came to Bemidji in 1902. He was employed as a cruiser, surveyor and forest ranger. L. F. Johnson was an easy winner for the position of alderman, first ward in 1908 under the mayorship of J. P. Pogue. He served on the city council in 1912 and was a straw vote candidate for mayor along with William McCuaig, George Kreatz, and F. M. Malzahn. He was president of the city council for two years and represented the first ward as alderman for two years before he ran for mayor in 1919. He ran for re-election in 1920. “Your vote cast for L. F. Johnson for Mayor of Bemidji, means the endorsement of a loyal, patriotic American citizen.”
He was an early member of the Bemidji Elks Lodge 1052. He was a member of St. Philips Catholic Church when it was built in 1908. He and his family lived at 1014 Bemidji Avenue from at least 1910-1940
His wife, Lenora Johnson, passed away at their home on March 9, 1926, following an illness of about two years. Lafayette Johnson died on July 5, 1940. They were the parents of four sons, Clyde, Ralph, Ed, and Harry Johnson.