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History of the Anderson Island
Historical Society,
The Johnson Farm Museum, and a Tour
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The Anderson Island Historical Society
The AIHS was chartered in
1975 by a small group of Island residents whose vision and foresightedness
was exemplary of the community spirit which is a tradition on Anderson
Island. A lifestyle familiar to native Islanders was rapidly disappearing.
The purpose of the organization was to establish a museum in order to
ensure that still vivid memories and artifacts would not be lost and
forgotten. The continuing goal of the Society 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 within which the collections will be maintained because that era saw
the settlement of the Island which played an historic role in development of
the region known as South Puget Sound.
The Johnson Farm Museum
The site of Society
activities is the landmark Johnson Farm, seven acres of which were a gift
from Alma Ruth Laing, the last direct descendant of Island pioneers, John
Oscar Johnson and his wife, Alma Marie. The Johnsons were Finnish immigrants
who came to Anderson Island before the turn of the century.
The farm is typical of those developed by many islanders who raised
chickens and dairy herds as a source of income. The buildings are excellent
examples of the type of architecture and construction found on the island
prior to 1940. The barn is among the last remaining pole barns on the island,
as are the chicken houses.
In 1991, John Parks and his wife, Karen, deeded an additional 22 acre
parcel to the Museum. A portion of the gift includes the pond from which the
Johnson family pumped the water used on the farm.
The farmhouse is furnished with many family heirlooms, as well as
donated items reminiscent of the stye and period. Many of the quilts in the
Museum were restored or reproduced by former islander, Lois Scholl, whose
efforts on behalf of the Historical Society have earned her the title Mother
of the Museum.
The original family garden has been enlarged and is now available for
use by individual gardeners at a small fee, all of whom are members of the
society.
A Tour of the Johnson Farm
THE TOWER: At the top of
the tower is a wooden tank. The tank was filled by an old Ram Pump located in
the pond down below to the South. 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 which 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 provde 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 brotheres 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 build 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. The baler was powered by a belt from a
tractor. 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 which 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'a 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 thing 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 accomodate 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 and Gift Shop located in the Number
1 Chicken Coop. Thanks for visiting the Johnson Farm.
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These pages © AIHS 1998, revised 2003.
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