HANNAH WESTERLUND JOHNSON HOME

In December 1897, Hannah Westerlund became the first Swedish woman to settle in Silverhill. Hannah had traveled from Chicago with her husband and 20-month-old daughter, Ester Louise. They came with Oscar Johnson to help finish building his house, which stood as the sole building in Silverhill at the time. While residing in the house during its construction, the men worked on erecting the chimney, installing doors and windows, while Hannah took charge of meal preparations. On January 1, 1898, Oscar's house was ready when his own family arrived.

This is a newspaper clipping from The Baldwin Times, dated November 11, 1971, a special edition celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of Silverhill. View the entire edition here.

     Hannah's husband, Axel Westerlund, had made the move south to improve his health. They were still living in the Oscar Johnson house in August 1900 when tragedy struck the young family. Axel succumbed to his illness, leaving Hannah a widow.

     By this time, many more Swedish settlers had moved into the town and surrounding area. Daphne, being only accessable by poor dirt roads, was the closest town to find supplies, food, and services. Skilled Swedish individuals were needed to establish businesses in Silverhill.

     Theodore A. Johnson, who operated a grocery store in Paxton, Illinois, a small city 100 miles south of Chicago, was invited to explore the opportunity of opening a grocery and merchandise store in Silverhill. His wife and infant son had died in Chicago in 1893 from typhoid fever, where he had also worked in a grocery store. On September 27, 1901, he bought two lots in the center of Silverhill on which to build his own store. His three young daughters, who had been living with relatives in Chicago after their mother's death, moved to Silverhill after T.A. Johnson opened the Peoples Supply store June 1902. They lived in the apartment above the store

     A few weeks before T.A. Johnson purchased the lots for the store, Hannah Westerlund bought 20 acres of land one-half mile south of the store location, on September 3, 1901. A year later, the two married, and began building their new home on the land that Hannah had bought. The house was likely finished in 1903.

The Hannah Westerlund Johnson Home, 1907. Click to enlarge.

     The Johnson home became a hub for social gatherings and parties over the years, renowned for its beauty and well-maintained gardens. T.A. Johnson continued to make improvements to the house, which were the topic of conversations in the community. In December of 1914, he put a cement foundation under his house and added two cement porches. In January of 1915, he equipped his store and residence with acetylene gas. Before electricity came to Silverhill, acetylene gas lamps were used to light homes and other buildings and churches.

     In 1920, they sold this home and moved into the apartment above the Peoples Supply store until they completed their new home in 1928, described as a bungalow, next door to the store.

This is a recent satellite view of the 20 acres, highlighted in magenta, which Hannah Westerlund bought in 1901. - Click to enlarge.

     Location: On the east side of County Road 55 just south of the intersection of South Boulevard, one-half a mile south of the People's Supply Company. This building still exists today as a home.

     Interesting facts:

1. When Hannah married T.A., her daughter was called Ester, but because T.A.'s youngest daughter was called Esther, Hannah's daughter then went by the name Louise. After her marriage, her name was Louise Lundberg.


2. T.A. Johnson and Oscar Johnson were not related.

The Hannah Westerlund Johnson House
Click each picture to Enlarge.

The Theodore A. Johnson Home postcard, after 1915 when the cement porches were added.	The Theodore A. Johnson Home postcard back.
Louise and George Lundberg were married at her family home in Silverhill, July 25, 1920. Ten days after the wedding, John Fredrick completed the deed transaction for the house and 20 acres.	Louise and George Lundberg wedding party July 25, 1920 in Silverhill. This is a view of the back porch and back yard. Photo taken by Oscar Gustafson Studio, Silverhill, Ala.

Newspaper Clippings and Articles of
The Hannah Westerlund Johnson House.
Click each to expand and read.

The Foley Onlooker, Wed. Dec. 16, 1914.	The Foley Onlooker, Wed. Jan. 20, 1915.
The Foley Onlooker, Wed. May 26, 1915.	Fairhope Courier, Fri. Jan. 31, 1919. The daughter in this article is Edlith, not Edith. Edlith's two younger sisters were Mildred and Esther. Alida was their half-sister, born to Hannah and T.A.
The Baldwin Times, Thu. Feb. 19, 1920.	The Baldwin Times, Thu. Apr. 22, 1920.
The Baldwin Times, Thu. May 20, 1920.	The Foley Onlooker, Thu. Jun. 17, 1920.
The Foley Onlooker, Thu. Jul. 8, 1920.	The Foley Onlooker, Thu. Jul. 29, 1920. This article will expand to 2 columns if opened.

     In 1943, Joseph Dvorak bought ten acres along with the house that Mr. and Mrs. Theodore A. Johnson had built in 1903. Following are photos of that house and property when the Dvorak family owned it.

Click each photo to enlarge.
The handwriting is of Gertrude Wesley Dvorak.

Dvorak home 1944. Grandfather Anton Dvorak.	Back of photo to the left says: 2/27/1944 This shows the close view of house from the front and grandpa sitting on porch.
Dvorak home 1944.	Back of photo to the left says: 2/27/1944 This is taken from corner of S. West. Here you can see part of a garden and also barn in back, and also that big Azalea what you see on other picture by itself.
Dvorak home 1944.	Back of photo to the left says: 2/27/1944 These are the Japonicas I bought from Armstrong. That big one in the middle is the one what we had in that big wooden tub and I replant both of them in the yard.
Dvorak home 1944.	Back of photo to the left says: 2/27/1944 This picture show you big Japonica and West side of the house.
Dvorak home 1944.	Back of photo to the left says: 2/27/1944 Looking from back porch, you can see my car parked between the barns. That little house on the lawn is cooler.
Dvorak home 1944.	Back of photo to the left says: 2/27/1944 This is another view from back porch looking more toward Ostrands. The big trunk in the middle is a pecan tree right by the house.
Dvorak home 1944.	Back of photo to the left says: 3/12/1944 This dog you see on this picture was born last August. Curley had only one so we kept it. We call him Baby.
Front of Dvorak home 1944. County Road 55 in foreground.	Back of photo to the left says: 3/12/1944