Category: History

George Oliver “Jud” Martin came to Johnstown in 1920. He purchased and operated a pool hall after coming to town. In 1928, he sold the pool hall and opened a confectionery and clothing store. Jud’s place was popular with children and adults alike. Often, 50 to 75 gallons of ice cream were dipped per week…

The community of Elwell began in 1895 with the building of the first church in the area – the Dilley Chapel, in honor of Reverend Cora May (Elwell) Dilley.  Three years later J.W. Purvis built his general store on the corner of what is now Colorado Blvd and Hwy 60. Later, Elwell was also the…

 John B. Sloan was a prominent farmer and dairy rancher in the Elwell community and later in Johnstown. He came to the Berthoud area in the late 1880s and married Armenda Flora on New Year’s Eve day in 1890. The couple moved to Elwell two years later and became part of that budding community. The…

Thomas Mallonee, his wife Cynthia, and their children moved to Johnstown from Longmont after he was hired in 1917 to manage the Longmont Farmers Milling and Elevator Company in Johnstown. A few years later, the Mallonees bought a farm north of the J.W. Purvis store at Elwell from George Pancake and soon established a Guernsey…

Johnstown has had its share of extreme weather events over the years. Among them was a meteorite fall, well known in the science community for its rare circumstances. On July 6, 1924 around 4:20 pm, the meteorite shower sailed above Elwell interrupting a funeral in progress at the cemetery. It proclaimed its arrival in our…

 John W. Purvis and his brother William came to the Elwell community in 1895 from Nebraska to work as farm hands. John later secured property from John J. Thornton at the corner of what is now Hwy 60 and Colorado Blvd., and he built a general merchandise store there in 1898. The store sold everything…