The Gray family’s roots in Johnstown date back to 1885 when James Albert Gray, his wife Ellen, and their six children moved to the Hillsboro district near what would become Milliken. The family settled on a quarter-section of land and lived in a dug-out until it was possible to build a house. In 1901, James…
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In the late 1800s, country schoolhouses dotted the landscape on the edges of local farms. They usually had one or two rooms; the two-roomed schools seated first through fourth grade in one room, and grades fifth through eighth in the other. Each classroom had a wood burning stove for heat and a water bucket and…
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Historical Society Fundraising To Preserve The Johnstown Breeze Newspaper Archives A local newspaper is the beating heart of its community. Often the most factual account and near complete record of a town’s development over time, it becomes a living scrapbook holding within its printed pages the details of its community’s struggles and triumphs, thus capturing…
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William Parkin and John Sansom purchased lots on the east side of Main Street (Parish Ave) in April 1906 for $800 under a stipulation that they would erect a building valued at a minimum of $800 within one year, or the property would revert back to the seller – the Great Western Railway Company. William…
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In October 1911, Harvey J. Parish and 14 other local Masonic Brothers formed the Johnstown Fraternal Association to discuss and establish a Masonic Lodge in Johnstown. These prominent men had been members of other area lodges in Berthoud, Windsor, Fort Lupton, and Fort Collins at a time when many lodges were being established across the…
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In this ongoing series, we feature a piece from our Museum Director, Billie DeLancey, originally published in The Johnstown Breeze on June 26, 2025. Enjoy this look back, and keep an eye on the paper for the newest stories shaping our community. On the morning of June 29, 1928, Susie McLaughlin and three lunch guests…
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