John Johnston (fur trader)

John Johnston (1762–1828) was a wealthy and successful British fur trader for the North West Company. He operated a trading post at what is now Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan when it was still Canadian territory before the War of 1812. After the border became redefined, Johnston was a prominent citizen and leader in the Michigan Territory of the United States, although he never became a US citizen.

He had married Ozhaguscodaywayquay (Woman of the Green Glade), daughter of Waubojeeg (White Fisher), a prominent Ojibwe war chief and civil leader from what is now northern Wisconsin. The Johnstons were leaders in both the Euro-American and Ojibwa communities. Johnston's life was markedly disrupted by the War of 1812, as afterward the U.S. prohibited trading by Canadians in its territory.