asjohnson.html

The Mt. Adams Sun, Bingen, WA., August 27, 1964, page 8

A.S. JOHNSON BROUGHT FAMILY TO LYLE ON BAILEY GATZERT IN 1917
Naomi Johnson Jay

Albert Sydney Johnson, youngest son of Joseph and Eliza Minder Johnson, at Cuffey's Cove, Mendocino County, California on July 7, 1881. His father had emigrated from Finland but died when Albert was three years of age, leaving Albert's mother a widow with 11 children. She had come from Ohio, via Cape Horn.
At an early age the Johnson boys learned sawmilling at the Union Lumber Co. of Fort Bragg, 25 miles north of Cuffey's Cove. Albert's brother Tom remained there as a sawyer and gained the reputation of having sawed more lumber than any man on the Pacific coast.
Both Tom and Albert maintained a wonderful safety record during their sawing careers.
In 1905, Albert married Ethel May Cullen, youngest daughter of J.W. Cullen, Methodist pastor at Little River. In 1911 the Johnsons moved to Portland where they lived six years.
On May 22, 1917 the family boarded the stern-wheeler "Bailey-Gatzert" for Lyle where Albert bought 80 acres and started "Little Valley Farm" 2½ miles from town.
Because Albert had to struggle very hard for an education, he worked hard to secure educational advantages for youth of the Lyle area. For 12 years he was a Lyle school director and tramped many miles as clerk of the board.
To begin with, Albert sawed at the "Biggers" Mill (later U.S. Buck Lumber Co.) four miles north of his farm. Traveling horseback or by cart and buggy he earned a livelihood for his family while devoting himself to upkeep of the farm at the same time.
With 20 acres in apples, at the start, it was impossible to grow them at a profit so Albert pulled out every tree and planted grain and alfalfa. He also raised cattle, poultry and garden produce on the beautiful Little Valley Farm until finally there were 160 acres of hill and valley whereon the wildflowers grew prolifically.

SURVIVORS

For the past year Mr. Johnson has been living with his son Sidney at Lyle. He died Friday, July 31, 1964 at Skyline Hospital, White Salmon where he had been a patient since July 25 when he suffered a stroke.
He is survived by his widow and son Irvin of Hood River; son Sydney of Lyle; daughter Naomi, Mrs. Ernest Jay, of San Francisco; brother Charlie Johnson of Sacramento; and three grandchildren.
He was a member of Columbia Grange No. 87 since his arrival in Lyle; the Odd Fellows lodge which he joined while living in Fort Bragg; and the Methodist Church where services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, August 4. Interment was at The Dalles, Oregon.