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Johnson's Place

Location: Block 3, Lot 4

Proprietor: Nennie Johnson

Year Started: 1908

Year Ended: 1944

History of Business: In 1908, Nennie Johnson sold the Hotel Johnson and built the Johnson’s Place across the street. For a few years, he had a barbershop and recreation parlor there, but about 1921 he turned it into a general store. In 1933 he opened a Gamble Store in addition to his regular line of groceries and dry goods. Nennie carried on many hobbies in the back end of the store. He collected guns, Indian artifacts and many other things. He made a clock from a buffalo head, a chair from longhorns and buffalo horns. He took a mail order course in taxidermy and had a case full of birds and animals that he had mounted. He tried his hand at oil painting, carving wood, etc. He sold the cash store to Rudolph Peterson about 1944. Rudolph and Nora had the store until 1952 when they sold it to Ervin and Evelina Boese. In 1956, Boeses sold the store to Ed and Stella Sorenson. Ed Sorenson died shortly thereafter, but Stella continued to run the store until 1978 when the store was closed. The building was sold at that time to Edgar Flick. Edgar sold the building to Wanda Melchert who transferred ownership to MHP, Inc in 2017. It has a new roof and the external walls have been reinforced.

Daisy – Johnson's Place

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Reference points:

Red rectangle - Manfred School

Blue rectangle - Vang Lutheran Church

Purple rectangle – Post Office/Bank

Green rectangle – Solheim Station

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