Special Collections
Series 2: Miscellaneous Writings
| Description | Date |
|---|---|
| Abolitionist: autograph manuscript 5 p.; 2 p. of original notes Describes Alfred Johnson of Hockanum, Hadley, MA as an abolitionist before it was a strong movement in New England. Also gives some description of his wife Drusilla, son Myron, daughter Sarah, and grandson Arthur Johnson, who went on to be a famous movie actor. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Adventures of a Photographer: autograph manuscript signed 23 p. Johnson recounts adventures making photographs while in France, London, Scotland and Ireland. |
[ca. 1900 - 1930] |
| Adventures with a Rubber Boot: autograph manuscript 5 p. Story of little boy Richard and his excitement over receiving his first pair of rubber boots. While trying them out on the road by the school, a boot gets stuck in a mudhole. True story of a Hockanum boy in 1894. Note: see notebook "School Diary" p. 19. |
[probably about 1895] |
| American Negro: autograph manuscript 93 p. (25 myths) Collection of African American myths and folk tales, presumably gathered while Johnson was traveling the South and Mississippi Valley. Most involve animals, such as "Mr. Alligator's Bad Tooth" (2 p.); "The Braggart Sparrow" (2 p.); "How the Mockingbird Got His Name" (7 p.). Also includes tales such as "The Fiddler's Escape" (2 p.); "The Poor Man and the Snake" (5 p.); "The Rabbit and the Conjure Man" (3 p.) |
[probably about 1910] |
| Artist - Elbridge Kingsley: autograph manuscript 19 p.; 13 p. first version notebook Recounts Elbridge Kingsley, a renowned engraver from Hadley, MA, and his trips to the countryside in his "car" or closed wagon. Also recalls a conversation between Kingsley and Miss Harriet Richardson, an elderly resident and painter of Hadley and friend of Kingsley's. |
1897 Aug |
| At the Edge of the Woods: autograph manuscript 13 p.; transcript (incomplete); 12 p. early version An account of the home and daily life of [Loren] Pease (Grampa Pease), the oldest inhabitant of Hochanum: keeping hens, a small garden, hunting and eating skunks, woodchucks, and mudturtles. Note: see also notebook "Oldest Inhabitants". |
ca. 1898 |
| Auction 1900: autograph manuscript 12 p. Detailed account of the auction at Dan Cooks (of Hadley, MA?) on Mar 28, 1900. The setting, individuals, items, and the bidding are told in great detail. Note: Along with funerals, auctions were one of the major social events much of the community attended. |
1900 Mar 28 |
| Aunt Drusilla: autograph manuscript 6 p.; 1 s. "Samuel Hall" Bulk describes Drusilla Hall's wedding to Alfred Johnson (uncle of Clifton Johnson) in May of 1834 and her experiences growing up, then becoming a teacher at various villages in the region. Separate sheet "Samuel Hall" describes Drusilla's brother and is written in a different hand (probably early Clifton Johnson writing from 1886). |
[probably after 1890] |
| Aunt Ruby: autograph manuscript 53 p. Feb 16, 1893 (2 p.): An account of visiting Aunt Ruby. "Aunt Ruby's Tell, Sept 1895" and "Oct 1894" are her ruminations about health and doctors, the old days and gossip about her neighbors. Continuously numbered 1-40, Oct '94 starts on page number 25. |
1893 - 1895 |
| Autobiog. Notes: autograph manuscript signed 4 p.; 2 transcripts A brief account of the first Johnson who settled Hockanum in the mid-1700s. Johnson goes on to describe his own background working in a bookstore at 15 in Northampton; and then back to farming, writing, drawing; taking art courses in New York; then publishing his first book in 1892. |
1924 Jul 17 |
| Bartlett Diary - Hockanum: autograph manuscript 11 p. Johnson introduces and transcribes Levi Bartlett's diary accounts from 1841 (4 p.) - mostly weather and crop accounts. 7 p. of notes describe Levi Bartlett and his wife and sons (almost all had mental problems or suicides) Bartlett lived near the Johnson farmhouse in Hockanum. Earlier copy starts in 1827 (brief). |
[probably after 1890] |
| Bicknells - autograph manuscript 13 p. Describes the Bicknell family of West Chesterfield. Bulk told in the voice of Julia Bicknell, who describes an elderly neighbor woman's sorry state. |
1894 Oct 15 |
| Big Farm - Beginnings: autograph manuscript 35 p. Describes John McQueston's farm in Hadley, MA. By Anna McQueston Johnson, as told to Clifton Johnson. Includes writings on clearing the land, the hired men, domestic animals. |
[probably after 1896] |
| Big Farm - Children: autograph manuscript 36 p. Describes growing up and playing on a farm in the 1880s: playing games, pretending to be fighting Indians, making forts, boating, reading. |
[probably after 1896] |
| Big Farm - Horses: autograph manuscript 36 p. Describes John McQueston's farm in Hadley, MA. By Anna McQueston Johnson, as told to Clifton Johnson. Anna recalls the various horses owned by her father, raising and taking care of them, learning to hitch and ride them. |
[probably after 1896] |
| Big Farm - Malaria: autograph manuscript 15 p. By Anna McQueston Johnson, as told to Clifton Johnson. Anna describes instances of her and her family being sick on the farm and various folk remedies for recovery. Also describes malaria bouts in the area around 1880. |
[probably after 1896] |
| Big Farm - Odds: autograph manuscript 6 p. By Anna McQueston Johnson, as told to Clifton Johnson. Anna recalls punishments given out to her and her brothers by her mother and also some superstitions. |
[probably after 1896] |
| Brooms: typescript 4 p. Carbon typescript describes Levi Dickinson of Hadley, MA starting broomcorn crops and broom-making in the late 1790s. Describes process of planting and broom-making as industry grows and uses new technology like tread machines through decline after Civil War. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Canada, Alaska, Mexico: autograph manuscript 20 p. Facts and figures on Canada, Alaska, Mexico and Central America. Short descriptions of the people and geography. |
[probably after 1915?] |
| Canoe Club: autograph manuscript 1 p. History of Northampton canoe club and the club building erected in Hockanum. Mentions Calvin Coolidge as a member and praise he bestowed on Hockanum. |
[1920?] |
| Captain Slocum: The Man Who Sailed Alone Around the World: autograph manuscript 20 p. Records life and adventures of Captain Joshua Slocum, the first man to circumnavigate the world alone (1895-1898) on the ship Spray. Presumably recorded as told by Slocum. Includes two of Johnson's diary entries of visits to Martha's Vineyard to see Slocum. Note: many revisions. |
[1910s] |
| Civil War: autograph manuscript 5 p. First person recollection by unnamed man as written by Johnson about a skirmish near Port Hudson, LA (2 p.). Also describes practice of hiring a substitute to take your place in the army if you were drafted (3 p.). Probably based on account by Parsons Cook (see also notebook "Parsons Cook - Civil War)". |
[probably after 1890] |
| Cooper, Septimius Barstow: autograph manuscript 9 p. Discusses the cooper Barstow, his home in Hockanum, and his mentally-ill daughter Olive. Also mentions the one-room brick schoolhouse and its predecessor, the wood schoolhouse and who tenanted the building after the new one was built. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Copied Notes: autograph manuscript 44 p. Page 1 describes visit (1888) to see Elbridge Kingsley's "house on wheels" on the side of Mt. Tom. Following pages seem to be quotes and life observations. Also quotes from Hadley residents at the town meeting, 1885. Pages 10-43 seem to be Johnson reminiscing about school days and neighbors, often with sayings and name of originator. Last page is titled "Unused Notes: Adirondacks 1901" and probably describes John Burroughs. |
ca. 1885 - ca. 1901 |
| Cotton Mill Operations of New England: Real Life in America: autograph manuscript 13 p. Describes a cotton mill town and the foreign workers, children and the rough tenements. Note: reused material on other topics on verso. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Country Fire: autograph manuscript signed 9 p. An account of the fire that destroyed the nearly 100 year old Lyman Tavern in Hockanum. Details, from the start of the fire in the evening through surveying the remains the next morning. Note: published in >Picturesque Hampshire. |
ca. 1888 |
| Daylight Saving: autograph manuscript 2 p. Hadley residents' unfavorable opinions on keeping Daylight Savings time after MA law was passed in 1921. |
after 1924 |
| Dreadful Creature: autograph manuscript signed 23 p. Children's tale of the girl Susy Lawton, who goes to pick wintergreens and is scared by the mysterious sight of a "dreadful creature" that turns out to be a tree stump. Also characterizes children's excitement to be free at the end of the school day in their one room schoolhouse. |
[probably after 1890] |
| English Odds: autograph manuscript 9 p. Describes various characters during one of Johnson's trips to England. Includes a sexton in Selbourne, an awful vicar in Faringdon, and attending a Quaker meeting in Cambridgeshire. |
[1890s] |
| English Railroads: autograph manuscript 7 p. Describes traveling by rail in England during the 1890s. Includes dealing with porters, various classes of cars, and English train stations. |
[1890s] |
| Ferry: autograph manuscripts 21 p. Various items about the history of the Rock Ferry in Hockanum and the Mt. Tom Ferry. Includes list of owners of the Rock Ferry from 1755. |
[probably after 1890] |
| First Fourth of July: autograph manuscript 9 p.; typescript 5 p. Moral children's story of biblical Adam celebrating the first Fourth of July and causing commotion in the Garden of Eden. Adam thinks only of his own fun and nothing of others. |
1907 Jul 04 |
| Flood: autograph manuscript 15 p. Describes the Connecticut River flood of Nov. 1927 in Hadley and Northampton areas. Also includes history of other major floods in the area, including 1854 and 1869. |
after 1927 |
| Getting Ready for Santa Claus: autograph manuscript 2 p. Child's view of waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. Note: By Anna M. Johnson, written in Clifton Johnson's hand. |
[probably after 1896] |
| Good-for-nothing: autograph manuscript signed 35 p. Story of Charlie Blakely of Rigsby, MA and his marriage day, as told by two gossiping neighbors. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Gossip and Odds: autograph manuscript 45 p. Gossip from 1895 on many residents of Hockanum and Hadley. Remarks made by E. Shipman about Hockanum residents. Story of "Grampa" Loren Pease, deceased at 100 years old. |
ca. 1893 - ca. 1900 |
| Hadley Odds: autograph manuscript Collection of pages on different topics on Hadley including autos, the Polish, trolley, telephone, various town reports, and the history of the schools in the area. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Hadley: Old Mr. Goodman: autograph manuscript 9 p.; 4 p. modern typescript Bulk describes Edward Goodman of Back Street, Hadley, MA as a penny-pinching old man who owned a dry goods store. One page also describes the types of candy he sold. Note: written over multiple years. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Hair: autograph manuscript 2 p.; 4 p. early draft Sarah Johnson describes the various hairstyles women would wear when she was a young woman. Includes descriptions of curling the hair various ways and styling it in "waterfalls" or "waterwheels". Early draft is probably from 1880s. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Heredity in a Country Village: autograph manuscript 4 p. Describes the early history of settlement in Hockanum and the homes settled by Capt. John Lyman and his many offspring in the village for over 100 years. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Hockanum in the Past: autograph manuscript 6 p. (4 s.) Describes several residents and the history of Hadley and Hockanum in the mid-1800s. Includes Russells, Richardsons, Mr. French, Bartletts, Shipmans, and others. Also includes history and sketches/floor plans of the Johnson house from the 1860s to 1900. |
1887 Feb and ? |
| Hockanum School: autograph manuscript 32 p. History of the various schoolhouses and school activities in Hockanum over the years since the late 1700s. Note: pencil notes in different hand are by Margaret Johnson Rutter. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Howells: On Trail of W.D. Howells in Ohio: autograph manuscript 14 p. Johnson travels along the Ohio River in search of people who remember the novelist William Dean Howells when he lived in Ohio. He recounts many stories from elderly residents. Note: this was likely written during trip in which Johnson shot photographs to be published in Years of My Youth by W. D. Howells. |
1917 May 29 |
| Hudson Maxim: autograph manuscript 39 p. Various chapters, heavily revised, on Hudson Maxim. May be severely out of order. |
[ca. 1920?] |
| In an Old Burying Ground: autograph manuscript signed 14 p. Describes a forgotten and overgrown cemetery [in Hockanum?] that holds colonial era tombstones but is badly neglected. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Irish: autograph manuscript 5 p. Describes several Irish neighbors of Hockanum and the husbands' drinking spells. |
[probably after 1890] |
| It Must Be Done!: autograph manuscript 10 p. Story of renovating the Oldtown (Hadley) church meetinghouse. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Jacob Abbott: autograph typescript signed 10 p.; 4 p. article Describes Jacob Abbott as a beloved children's author, teacher, and preacher who lived from 1803 to 1879. One of his pupils was the poet Longfellow at the Portland Academy. Abbott was briefly a professor and preacher at Amherst College in the mid-1820s. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Kite and Horse-chestnut: autograph manuscript signed 11 p. Children's story of a conversation between a kite stuck on a telegraph line and a horse-chestnut in a tree. |
[1891?] |
| Life: autograph manuscript 5 p. Johnson philosophizes on measuring life's quality by the hard work accomplished. Also talks on the best qualities of teachers are those that provoke thought and questions in students. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Lincoln Address: autograph manuscript 11 p. Notes for speech given by Johnson to the students of Hopkins Academy, Hadley, MA about the example set by Lincoln's morals and hard work, freeing the slaves and having pride in yourself, your school and town. He mentions his visit to Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee school and how impressed he was with talking to Prof. George Washington Carver. |
1909 |
| Local Odds: autograph manuscript? 6 p. Various pages including one child's letter inquiring about selling buttons, one child's story about a mouse in the schoolhouse, a child's jingle, two pages on attending revivals. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Long, Lazy Hamlet: autograph manuscript 5 p. Describes Hockanum and the area's early settlement by Native Americans and finally colonial settlement by the Lyman family. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Maine Coast: autograph manuscript 17 p. Describes various areas of Maine including Portland and its fishing industry, Monhegan, and Bootleg harbor. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Memorandum book: autograph manuscript? 43 p. Various notes on books, stories and fairy tales, publishers; notes on various U.S. states - perhaps places to visit? Also includes first drafts of letters about the Hadley school committee, and a letter to John Burroughs. |
[1910s?] |
| Memorial Day Exercises at Hockanum: autograph manuscript 4 p. Discusses parallels between several soldiers who were killed by Indians in Hockanum in 1676 and by several girls killed in the same area by a car accident. Johnson proposes restraint and good sense in the age of the automobile. Note: this may have been for a talk given by Johnson. |
1932 May |
| Methodists and Freethinkers: autograph manuscript 11 p. Describes the Methodist community in Hadley, members, and baptisms in the river. Also mentions the Freethinkers Society in Hadley, started by Frank Edson, which may have only lasted 6 months. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Milkman: autograph manuscript 13 p. Describes the local milkman's routine, the milk cart, the carthorse, and problems along the delivery route. Possibly may be describing Johnson's own father as a milkman. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Millet: autograph manuscript 34 p. Describes the life and art of the French painter Jean-François Millet (1814-1877). He was renowned for the painting "Angelus". See also book Along French Byways. Note: unrelated writings on newspapers and the history of paper on verso. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Mill-girl's Lover: autograph manuscript signed 20 p. (3,000 words) Johnson records a story told by Mrs. Enos Perkins, owner of a boarding house in Hampden Falls, Mass. Her story tells of her boarder, Juliana Smith, who pined for her traveling beau, finally married him, then died shortly after. |
[ca. 1910s?] |
| Mt. Holyoke: autograph manuscript 2 p. Describes Captain O.H. Gilmore and his wife who piloted a steamer based at the Mt. Holyoke house (the summit house?) from approximately 1878-1880. They possibly lived in a little home known as the Champney house. |
probably after 1915 |
| Night at a Country Store: autograph manuscript signed 18 p. Johnson records the gossip of several men late at night in a New England country store. They tell stories of their neighbors and themselves: keeping bees, quitting tobacco, farming. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Odds: autograph manuscript Various pages on local customs, history of homes and townspeople of Hockanum and Hadley, MA. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Old Fashioned Garden: autograph typescript signed 3 p. Describes the flowers and vegetables raised in an New England country garden. Perhaps gives details of Johnson's garden in Hockanum. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Old Gris'ell: typescript (copy only) 3 p. Describes the parents-in-law of Loren Pease of Hockanum who came to live with him and his wife about 1840. Pease got tired of them and built them a shack to live in two miles away. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Old Man Herrick: autograph manuscript 31 p.; 13 p. draft Herrick was a man from Pittsfield who had served in the War of 1812, married Elizabeth Rose of New York, and then settled in Hockanum. They were noted as strange and farmed a patch of land on the mountain slope until they started to gather and sell crystals to tourists at the Mt. Holyoke Summit House for Mr. French. She moved on to Philadelphia and sold the crystals as "Mount Holyoke Diamonds". Early draft is from 1887. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Oldest Inhabitants Describes "Grampa" Loren Pease as the oldest inhabitant of Hockanum, born about 1800 and living to about 100 years old. The McQuestons acquired most of his farm but allowed him to live on a few acres. In August, 1895 neighbors held a picnic in his honor. Note: see also notebook "At the Edge of the Wood." |
probably about 1898 |
| Old-time Farm Family: autograph manuscript 40 p. Descriptive account of Aaron Snell and his family, who settled in Norville, MA after the Revolution. Describes their house, activities, church service, farming. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Old-time Life in New England: autograph manuscript signed 6 p. Seems to be notes and research for a new book about the history of New England. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Newspaper, the Magazine, and the Public: autograph manuscript 7 p. Notes for article in Outlook magazine. By Richard Watson Gilder as interviewed by Johnson. |
1899 Feb 04 |
| Pageant of the Children's Year: autograph manuscript 4 p. Notes for photographs to be included in different chapters of Pageant of the Children's Year: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Note: book is unpublished. |
[after 1915] |
| Paris: autograph manuscript 12 p. Describes the impressions the city of Paris makes on an American. City of trees, parks, broad avenues and stylish residents. Arc de Triumphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre are mentioned. |
1899 |
| Parsons Cook - Australia: autograph manuscript 33 p. Several sections of material seem to describe Parsons (Nick) Cook(?) sailing to Brazil and on to Australia. Also may include a section recorded from Irving Johnson about his early sea voyages. Note: some of this material may be published in book Sailing for Gold (1938). |
[probably after 1928] |
| Parsons Cook - Civil War: autograph manuscript 19 p. Parsons (Nick) Cook talks of enlisting for the Union in "Oldtown" (Hadley, MA) during the Civil War. Mentions the difficulties of being stationed in Louisiana, receiving letters, and skirmishes. |
[after 1890] |
| Parsons Cook - Hadley: autograph manuscript 19 p. Presumably records Parsons Cook's (age 94 in 1928) descriptions of local Hadley residents. Mentions Jonathan Dickinson and tradition of digging for buried treasure in his yard. Also mentions Levi Bartlett, Dave Root, and the Ben (Butcher) Smith Tavern. |
probably about 1928 |
| Parsons Cook - What They Say: autograph manuscript Sayings and superstitions repeated by Parsons Cook about the weather, lightning, luck. Notes: see also published volume What They Say in New England . |
[probably about 1928] |
| Political Economy of a Flag Raising on School Grounds: manuscript 4 p. (1 s.) Speech against the use of schools for political ends -- specifically raising party flags on school grounds. Read by Mr. Case in October, 1888 at Hopkins High School, Hadley, MA. Note: unclear whether authored or only copied by Johnson. |
ca. 1888 |
| Population, etc.: autograph manuscript 20 p. Describes statistics recorded by the Hadley annual reports about births, marriages, and deaths. Also includes statistics on taxes, the poor, historical notes on medicine and doctors, the Shays Rebellion, log running on the Connecticut River, drinking, and the town library. |
after 1924 |
| Possible Books: autograph manuscript Approximately 19 p.; index cards Various notes to publishers about titles, some published. Also lists of stories, titles or series for books, including fairy tales. |
[ca. 1910s?] |
| Prize Offer: autograph manuscript signed 25 p. (3400 words) Probably a fictional story about a boy who wants to submit a story for prize money and goes on adventures while trying to write it. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Prophet: autograph manuscript 17 p.; 2 newspaper clippings Describes a Texan man who came to Hockanum in 1884 proclaiming that Christ will appear at Mt. Holyoke in 1884 and that President Arthur must restore the Jewish Sabbath. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Professor Alvord: typescript (copy) 3 p. Describes elderly "Professor" Frank Alvord, who lived in Hockanum, MA. He talks of starting to smoke at an early age and the perils of drinking tea or cider. Written in voice of Professor Alvord. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Pueblo Fairy Tale: autograph manuscript 7 p. Records Native American tale of the origins of summer and winter. |
[probably after 1905] |
| Quonce: autograph manuscript, typescript 6 p. (3 s.) Describes using the old brick schoolhouse as a residence for the very poor Quonce family after the newer schoolhouse was built about 1810. They had 14 children and lived in one room with a loft above and a cellar below. Once abandoned, the ruins were cleared in 1870. |
1887 Feb |
| Roads: autograph manuscript 7 p. Text copied from Roads, Paths and Bridges by L.W. Page, Director, U.S. Office of Public Roads. Lists sound practices for building and maintaining earthen roads. |
after 1919 |
| Rosina's Garden: autograph manuscript 9 p. Describes Rosina as a strong-minded woman who sets out to create a garden with the help of neighboring Willis "girls". Location unknown. Note: seems to be told in voice of "Thomas". |
[probably after 1890] |
| Russell: Sam Russell: autograph manuscript 11 p. Various notes on Sam Russell of Hockanum and related events. Mentions the auction of Luther Lyman's home in Hockanum when Clifton and his brothers were young and how they snuck away during school to attend. Also mentions tub races in the Hockanum cove when Clifton was a boy. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Sayings: autograph manuscript 3 booklets List of child-like sayings and definitions. |
[probably 1880s] |
| School Diary: autograph manuscript 21 p. School diaries of various Hockanum children as copied by Johnson. Includes entries by Hettie and Oscar Johnson and Thayer children, Luther Barstow. Notes studies in school, games played, and the weather. |
ca. 1895 |
| School Fuss 1897: autograph manuscript 32 p. Describes the dissatisfaction with Miss Woodis, the new Hockanum schoolteacher. The children were found to be disrespectful and ran wild in the classroom and schoolhouse. |
1897 |
| School Notes: autograph manuscript 31 p. Copied extracts from various articles and books on the state of education in America in the early 20th century. Includes thoughts on punishment, exercises, recess, and lessons. |
after 1916 |
| Search for Treasure: autograph typescript 14 p. Two boys from Hartford tour the Connecticut Valley and hear of the tale of Captain Kidd's buried treasure on Shepard? Island. Their search comes with poor results. |
ca. 1892? |
| Sense and Sentiment: autograph manuscript 31 p. Critical thoughts on love and what attracts and holds a man and woman together in marriage. Probably bulk is from interview with W.D. Howells - see article "Sense and Sentiment". |
ca. 1895 |
| Sheep: autograph manuscript 1 p. Describes how sheep were sometimes poisoned by browsing on laurel. Lists two folk cures. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Smiths 1894: autograph manuscript 21 p. Describes the Smiths of West Chesterfield, MA. Bulk of August section describes the Smiths' hired man Herbert, his girl Nellie and meetings of the Christian Endeavor club. Bulk of October section gossips about Smith's relatives and neighbors. |
1894 Aug through 1894 Oct |
| Snow in Woods: autograph manuscript 13 p. Romantically describes a late spring, "sugar" snow. Johnson takes a walk through Hockanum into the woods and describes sights, sounds, and persons he meets. |
1900 Mar 26 |
| Some N'er-do-wells: autograph manuscript 23 p. Describes various poor residents of Hockanum, especially a string of tenants in the old schoolhouse. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Sound Bodies: autograph manuscript signed 8 p. (1,200 words) "The Preparedness of Sound Bodies". Comments on the rejection of 200,000 men during 1915 military enlistment for physical and mental problems. Insists that physical education is paramount to preparedness in peace and war. |
after 1915 |
| Talk - Cambridge: autograph manuscript 5 p. Notes for a talk given before a photographic club on subject of photography in illustration. Includes discussion that photographs poorly illustrate literary fiction because they are usually posed and too artificial. Includes 2 pages on story of trying to make a few photographs of an unwilling man in Kansas in 1908. |
1909 Feb 17 |
| Thanksgiving: autograph manuscript 2 p. Describes Aunt Laura's(?) recollections of having a plentiful amount of mince meat pies after the Thanksgiving celebration, which could be eaten and shared with guests for nearly a month. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Tobacco: autograph manuscript 1 p. Story of two young men who are bashful about their smoking habit when encountering a young lady. |
[probably after 1890 |
| Tower Place: autograph manuscript 4 p. Describes the once grand farm, now in disrepair, known as Tower Place, built by Stephen Tower in Cummington, MA. See journal "Camping Cummington, 1888". |
[1888 Aug] |
| Valley Vista Farm Visitors: autograph manuscript 2 p. List of prominent visitors to Johnson's farm in Hockanum, MA. Includes names such as John Burroughs, Henry Ford, Robert Frost, Dr. Charles A. Eastman, and Ray Stannard Baker. |
[probably after 1915] |
| Washington's Birthday: autograph typescript signed 11 p. Two short plays "Revolutionary Tea" and "The End of the Revolution" set during the Revolutionary War. Possibly written to be performed by the children of the Hockanum schoolhouse during Washingtons's birthday celebrations. |
1893 |
| Water: autograph manuscript 3 p. Describes the importance of water to the Hockanum farms through wells and mountain springs. One farmer hired a man with a divining rod to locate water on his property. |
[probably after 1890] |
| Weather: autograph manuscript 1 p. Mentions that 1894 was remarkable for a prolonged autumn with no frosts until early November. |
[after 1894] |
| When We Were Young, M-Z: autograph manuscript signed 83 p. "Oldtown memories recorded by Clifton Johnson". Includes short writings alphabetized on various topics and townspeople of Hadley, MA. Topics include nicknames, Josiah Nash, peddlers, silkworms, tobacco, etc. Only have writings M-Z, missing A-L. |
[probably after 1890] |
| White Lies: autograph manuscript 3 p. A discussion on the undesirable use of white lies in society. Mentions Aesop's fable of the boy who cried "Wolf". |
[probably after 1890] |
| Widow Lois: autograph manuscript Describes Lois Lyman, widow of Edwin Lyman, who lived in Hockanum in the mid-1800s. |
[probably after 1890] |
| World War: autograph manuscript 7 p. Describes Hadley's organization of a Committee on Public Safety during World War I. Various sub-committees and fundraising efforts aided the national effort to support the war. |
1917-1919 |