As a youth, Richardson Johnson was very ambitious, so it wasn’t surprising when he started his own business, solo. In 1887, he started his first establishment in Lynn, Massachusetts. After six months, he decided to make a new business in Hallowell, where he and his brother, Wil, formed a partnership for a shoe manufacturing business. Soon, it went from a small-scale business to a major industry. The Johnson Shoe Factory was doing quite well when, unfortunately, Wil Johnson died in 1906. Despite his brother's death, Richardson Johnson was still very determined to keep the shoe business going. The shoe business grew so rapidly in Hallowell that its shoes were being shipped across the country. There was so much demand for the shoes that the factory had reached 450 employees. By the mid 1920's, Richardson Johnson held a very prominent position within the community and was one of the most substantial and progressive leaders in this part of Maine.