Village of Johnson – Dedications

Mar 25, 2021

A tribute to Village Reports Dedication- A tribute to those folks who gave so much time, energy and commitment to the village government.

Village Dedications

Frank Sargent Dedication 1978

Frank gave the Village forty-six years of faithful service in the Water and Light Department. He also served as a Village Trustee from 1971-1973.

Raymond Green Dedication 1982

Raymond was a Village Trustee from 1955-1982. We the taxpayers of the Village of Johnson, say thank you for the interest and direction you have shown through your twenty-seven years of service.

Henry Parker Dedication 1986

Henry was a Village Trustee from 1977-1986. He was very conscientious and dedicated a lot of time and thought to his duties as a Village Trustee.

Katherine Desmarais Dedication 1987

Kathrin served as Village Clerk and Treasurer from 1973 to 1987. She was instrumental in every aspect of operating the Village government.

Mary Peatman Dedication 1990

Mary served 20 years as Village auditor.

Mary Nye Dedication 1991

Mary was employed by the Vermont Electric Co-op for many years and was an active member of the United Church. She gave help to many individuals in their time of need.

Byron Cookie Peters Dedication 1992

Cookie served the Village in various positions; Village tax collector, first constable, a former member of the Selectboard, and a fireman for 33 years

Emily Benway Dedication 1995

A long time resident of Johnson, Emily was a dedicated member of the United Church, she was always lending a helping hand, especially with her home-cooked meals for those in need

Johnson Fire Department 1995

Thanks for 100 years of service to the Village and Town.

Nancy Parker Dedication 1996

Nancy served the Town and Village both as Auditor and Librarian.

Harlan Lumbra Dedication 1997

Harlan served as Town Selectman and then Village Trustee. The Village owes a great deal of gratitude to Harlan.

Lyndhurst West Dedication 2000

Lyndhurst is an icon that personifies the Vermonter and our close-knit, conservative, and neighborly small-town identities.

Johnson Firemen Dedication 2001

Sincere gratitude to the Johnson firemen for their outstanding service

Donald Garrett Dedication 2002

Johnson is fortunate to have a well-qualified group of individuals who make up the team that administers our community services. Don, our wastewater treatment facility operator, exemplifies this. Our state of the art facility has been the recipient, and Don as well, for numerous State recognitions for its operations. Don never misses a beat!

Kenneth Phelps Dedication 2004

Ken served 30+ years for the Village. He always had his customers best interests at heart, maintaining quality service at one of the lowest rates in the state.

Fire Department Building Dedication 2005

Thanks to the people and businesses who donated time, materials, and money for the new Fire Station

Village Water System Dedication 2006

Thanks to all those that were involved in the Village Water System Improvement Project. To the Municipal employees for their dedication to the project and community. To the Village water and sewer customers, residence and merchants for their patience to help us through the completion and to the people traveling through town for tolerating all the disruptions

Hubert and Florence Beard Dedication 2007

Hubert started working in his father’s hardware store after college graduation, taking over running the store in 1948. He was a member of the Waterman Masonic Lodge, the United Church of Johnson, and also the Mount Sinai Shriners. He was instrumental in starting Boy Scout Troop 94 in the early 1950’s remaining the scoutmaster until the early 1970’s. Hubert could not have done all that he did without having Florance by his side. They were fixtures in town for over 60 years.

Donald Garrett Dedication 2008

Don began his employment in November 1972 as Chief Operator of the Village Wastewater Treatment Facility. In 2003 our facility won first place in the Environmental Protection Agency competition for excellence in operations and maintenance. This allowed our facility to compete nationally. Under Dons watchful eye, the facility won second place Nationwide for a facility our size. Governor Jim Douglas was on hand to present the award to Don.

Ramona McCuin Dedication 2009

Ramona was a life long resident of Johnson. She served as an Auditor for the Town and Village. If someone was having a hard time, she would help in whatever way she could. Ramona was very thoughtful, kind and generous to a fault.

Cliff Hill Dedication 2011

Loyalty and longevity are hard things to find in an employee but Cliff is an exception to the rule. He is the longest Village employee, starting work in 1970. He is a valued friend and employee to everyone who works for the Village of Johnson and he is always there to lend a helping hand.

Antonio Pomerleau Dedication 2017

This year’s village report is dedicated to the late Antonio “Tony”Pomerleau for his wonderful legacy of giving and community support.

Parker & Stearns and Manchester Lumber Dedication 2018

These two Johnson businesses have provided jobs and economic activity in our community for over 200 years. They were a key part of Johnson’s past and the sites and buildings have the potential to be a vital part of Johnson’s future

Jan Perkins Dedication 2019

A valued longtime employee who retired at the end of 2019. She served as office staff for 12 years and as Assistant Clerk/Treasurer for the last 19 years.

BUSINESS

Mar 11, 2021

Business and Industry

Albert S. Nadeau Aggregate Business was established in 1945. The super structure was built out of wood timbers due to shortages following World War 2. All the metal parts, such as crushers, screens, water pipes, and bucket elevators were second-hand from scrap yards. The Village Electric Department installed electric wires and transformers. A complete plant replacement was undertaken in 1958. The plant continues to be family operated as Nadeau Sand and Gravel today. Learn more about the early history of business and industry in Johnson by checking the gallery.

1st mine shaft Located at the end of Railroad St. Remnants can still be found behind the food shelf. The ore was transported to mill by train.

Ore Shoot Rock from mining area loaded to train which was loaded to “skip” to take to surface.

Ore Car Dumping Dumping to lead “skip”. Can be side dumped to either side.

Mine Walls Talc ore runs in leases (like veins). This is a wall of Lease after drilling and blasting.

Loading Skip Skip end is open and when skip is tilted can be loaded from shoot above.

Skip and Skip headed to surface from a level below Level 4. Skip runs on tracks.

Mine Skip Hoist From a separate building skip is raised by large electric powered winch. Note the bar across the top. Each mark indicates where skip is in shaft.

Headframe Skip dups at top and ore falls into bins for different sizes. Note the hoist house in left of photo.

Loading Ore Truck Loading from bin of large sized ore. To left are 2 bin openings for smaller size. Probably early to mid -60s.

Unloading Ore Early hauler unloading at mill. Previous hauling done by horse and wagon/sleigh.

Unloading Ore Photo probably mid- 50s.

Jasper Lining Bricks of jasper stone (very hard) from western U.S., was used to line walls of Harding Mill.

Jasper Stone Some material used as liner, but some stone sized to mix with ore to fine crush it. Samples can be seen at Johnson Historical Society.

Harding Pebble Mill Like a large tumbler mill, lined with jasper bricks and tumble grinding talc mixed with jasper ball medium.

Flotation Operation This was the first mill in the country to use this process to separate very fine product from what was previously waste.

Flotation Cells Close up of talc and foaming reagent being wet processed.

Flotation Vacuum Filter Drum vacuum to remove slurry from talc before drying process.

Bagging Buk talc from silo storage being bagged for shipment by rail or truck.

Bag Loading Bagged and palleted ready for rai or truck shipment

Talc Stored Orders of talc ready for shipment

Talc Mill Building Earliest American Mineral Company Talc Mill.

American Mineral Eastern Magnesium Talc. 1920’s

Construction of addition for Floatation plant Early 1930’s

Mill Plant in late 1950’s with area of now Mill Park in foreground.

Talc Mill site at time of closing.

Mine surface site at time of closing. Note the head frame and old and new hoist house.

Product display to show some uses of finished product.

Assad Saleeby Bldg, 50 Lower Main Street West

Asaad Saleeby’s 1st store was across Main St. where Northern Highlights Salon is now. Mr. Saleeby sold an exceptional line of dry goods serving clientele within a 40 mile radius.

Atlantic Room (left) from the Hotel Johnson, which became Hill’s Furniture Store. Quality Market (right) was meat/fruit market operated by Joe and Sadie Salvatore and later by Bob Towne a Townes’s Market.

Looking east on Main Street to Masonic Temple with town clock and bandstand on east side.

Beard’s Hardware Established circa 1928 on south side of Main St. Previously Riddle Brothers and now Downtown Pizza.

Last operators of Beard’s Store Hubert (center) , Florence ( foreground) , Alan (son, rear)

Charles Bishop Station master for the railroad in town and later Postmaster.

Railroad St. Looking south on Railroad St. Circa Early 1920’s . Nye Block on the right. The building on the left now houses the Laundromat and apartments.

Pearl St. Dam and falls on Gihon River located between the Gris Mill and Johnson Woolen Mill Building. Then Gris Mill building is now home to the Vermont Studio Center.

Sugaring This is the Floyd Ellsworth sugarhouse on Clay Hill. A lot of open land in the background that you don’t see today.

Grand Union Market This is a picture of the Grand Opening of Johnson’s first super- market. (now Sterling Market) Dick Sinclair Manager (on Right) Larry Manning clerk (left).

Johnson Woolen Mill Circa 1940 on Main St. The history of the woolen mill goes back as far as 1836. A New factory was build by D.A. Barrows in 1905. This building was the pants factory.

Johnson Woolen Mill Pearl Street plant for fabric manufacturing. Much of the dyed fabric was rinsed out in the river below.

Johnson Main St looking west. Photo circa 1940’s. Brick building on right was the bank, The Sterling Trust Co., on left the first full building is Beard’s Hardware and then the Johnson Pharmacy.

Intersection Main St and Railroad St. Note the Silent Policeman . There was also one at Pearl and Main St. intersection.

Marvin’s Store (Butternut Mountain ) This was home to the town blacksmith shop and garage (right of building ) and Fire station on left. Later connected as one building.

C.H. Stearns (left) Covered Bridge (center) Store / apartments (V. Despault block) (right) Immediately after the 1927 flood. Today the VT. Studio School (left) Pearl St. Bridge (center) .

Looking up Gihon River from below Pearl St. Bridge and Mill Dam. Notice the Covered Bridge.

Hotel Johnson- Early 1900’s The back this building was built in 1812. The rear of building was closed during prohibition. It last operated as hotel/tavern by St. Jock family. See old register at Johnson Historical Society. Later Hills Store /Quality Market. Today apartments.

Looking North on Pearl St. from Main St. Twin Covered bridges and early garage/ blacksmith shop/theatre/ apt. building on west side of Street.

Village Powerhouse 100C Looking north at the Powerhouse from the east end of the covered bridge. Removed in 2019.

Railroad St. looking south from Main St.

Scott House Located on Railroad St. diagonally across from the Library. Longtime home of Dr. and Mrs. Scott . Dr. Scott was a veterinarian.

Landmark/Nye Block Built in 1868/69 Located on SW corner of Main and Railroad St. Built by Leonard Knight as a mercantile store in anticipation of Railroad to be built from Newport to Junction at Johnson. It burned in 1986

Vermont Electric Coop headquarters on School Street across from the school. It was built in the early 1950’s . Recently torn down and replaced with new housing unit.

Aura Richard’s Store Located on 100C in East Johnson, on left before twin bridges. For years this store was the center of East Johnson. In past years It was Charlie Bapp’s Gun Shop and the Winding Brook Bistro.

Atlantic RoomQuality Market

Horner’s Greenhouse. Route 15 West Originally a small convenience store and farm stand owned and operated by Ken Horner and his wife and family. Later a large green house. The Buggy man’s Antiques was part of that property.