OSCAR JOHNSON HOME

     The first building in the town of Silverhill was built 1897-1898 by Oscar Johnson. A windmill water pump and barnyard were behind the home.

Silverhill's early promotional booklet showing the Oscar Johnson Home and the Slosson Home. Oscar Johnson's house was in the center of Silverhill. Edwin Slosson's house was over 2 miles southwest of the center of town. Click to Enlarge.

     The Johnsons opened their home to guests seeking land purchases before a hotel was built in Silverhill. During the summer of 1910, Oscar Johnson remodeled the house adding porches, a bath, and two rooms.

This is a recent satellite view of the 4 lots that contained the house and barnyard totaling about 1 acre, highlighted in green, which Oscar Johnson owned. - Click to enlarge.

     Location: This building was on the west side of Broad Street (County Road 55) directly across the street from Peoples Supply. The house was located approximately at the United Bank pavilion behind the Veterans Memorial (town block 21, lots 4-9). This building no longer exists, it was taken down and removed in 1962.

     Interesting fact:

• A yellow fever epidemic spread throughout the entire gulf coast and southern areas while Oscar Johnson was building his house during the summer of 1897. Before he could buy windows and doors, a quarantine closed all businesses in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. No one knew that mosquitoes were actually spreading the disease. Oscar Johnson managed to board one of the last trains and return to Chicago to his family before travel was completely restricted and the train stations closed. He left the house with window and door openings boarded up. This was the first pandemic to confine the people of the Silverhill area.

Oscar Johnson Home about 1898. The view is looking South.	Oscar Johnson barnyard 1899. The camera view is looking North East.
Oscar Johnson Home about 1904. The camera view is looking West. The dirt road in the foreground would become County Road 55.	Mission Church, Peoples Supply, and Oscar Johnson Home, after 1910 when porches were added. The camera view is looking South East. The dirt road on the right side would become Highway 104.
Oscar Johnson's house on the left, after 1910 when porches were added. Silverhill Hotel built by Charles Olander on the right. The camera view is from the side porch of the Peoples Supply looking northwest. The dirt road would become County Road 55.	Oscar Johnson Home, after 1910 when porches were added. The camera view is looking South West from Highway 104 at the intersection of County Road 55.
Oscar Johnson Home, after 1910 when porches were added. The camera view is looking South West.