1912 - Johnson Farm - 1975 Traditional Cache
1912 - Johnson Farm - 1975
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The Anderson Island Historical Society has established a museum on the Johnson Farm to ensure that still vivid memories and artifacts would not be lost and forgotten. Their goal is to provide public education through collection, preservation, research, interpretation and exhibition of artifacts, documents and photographs relevant to the settlement and development of Anderson Island. The period between 1850 and 1975 has been chosen as the chronological scope for the collections.
A TOUR OF THE JOHNSON FARM
THE FARMHOUSE: The home is furnished with many family heirlooms, as well as donated items, such as the restored quilts, reminiscent of the style and period.
THE TOWER: At the top of the tower is a wooden tank. An old Ram Pump located in the pond down below to the South filled the tank. The Ram Pump is on display in the milk room. The lower part of the tower served as the MILK ROOM. The separator was used to separate the cream from the milk that was then bottled and placed in the concrete vault to keep it cool until it was sold. The concrete vault had water running through it to provide cooling.
WOOD SHED: This one is now full of wood, as it was in the old days.
STORAGE ROOM: In the early days, drums and cans of fuel and oil were stored here. It is now used for general storage.
TOOL SHED: The tool shed provided an area to store tools and parts, and to make repairs that were not completed in the field or in the barn.
EGG ROOM: This is the heart of the farm, as the primary product was eggs. At the height of the operation, the two large chicken coops at the North end of the property had from 2,000 to 3,000 chickens each. In the early days the eggs were gathered and brought to the egg room to be candled, cleaned, sorted, and packaged by hand. In 1964 the Johnson brothers bought a used egg washing machine. Although it broke a lot of eggs, it did wash, separate eggs by weight, and saved a lot of labor.
THE BARN: The barn is unique since it is a pole barn. The framing is of peeled poles rather than dimensional lumber. It was built in 1917. The stalls housed 12 to 15 cows kept for milking and breeding purposes. The main part of the barn was used for hay. The equipment was either in the field or in other buildings on the farm. The display items are tagged for your enjoyment.
THE HAY BALER: This baler was actually used on Lissie Larson's farm, just West of the Johnson Farm. It is a good display of the technique used during the period. The baler was commercially built, but in this case it was mounted on the frame and wheels of an old hard tired truck. The baler was stationary. The hay was brought to the baler. A belt from a tractor powered the baler. The top ram would push the hay down, while the locomotive type ram would compact the hay into bales. The bailing wire would then be put into place. As a new bale was formed, the old one was pushed out.
THE PILOT HOUSE: This is off the Tahoma Ferry that served the Island between 1939 and 1977.
THE FORDSON TRACTOR: This is a 1929 Model.
THE MODEL T: This is a 1923 model, donated by the Rick Anderson family. The Historical Society uses it in the Island Fair Parade and it is displayed at farm functions. One of our members took it upon himself to paint it red and yellow--you can imagine the uproar! But, it does kind of grow on you!
NUMBER 2 CHICKEN COOP: The layout of the two large chicken coops is similar. This one is 100 feel long with three, thirty-foot rooms for the chickens and the first ten feet for the feed room. The other coop is 70 feet long.
Notice the handwritten weather reports on the wall and ceiling to the right as you enter the feed room.
These buildings were the latest vogue in the early 20's. They were purchased as kits in thirty-foot increments, plus the feed room. Number 2 coop is being remodeled to accommodate a small kitchen and meeting room in the last 30-foot section.
The chickens spent the day on the floor where they were fed and watered. They would roost at night on the wire roosts above the roosting tables and lay their eggs in the nests that lined the end walls. The eggs were gathered and taken to the Egg Room.
The displays in the rooms are labeled for your enjoyment. A docent will gladly give you a tour of the Johnson Family home and answer any farm related questions you might have.
Don't forget to visit the Museum located in the Number 1 Chicken Coop.
Thanks for visiting the Johnson Farm.
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