By Blue Gaia
Johnstown, Colorado, is located in the northern part of the state along Interstate 25. The town is situated in Weld County with an elevation of 4,852 feet. The total population of Johnstown is 3,827 people, based on the 2000
United States Census Survey. The residents live in the Mountain Standard time zone.
History
Harvey Jay Parish is the founder of Johnstown, according to the Johnstown Historical Society. In 1902, the Great Western Railroad Company was building a railroad near land owned by Parish. He decided to form a town in the area, with a main street known as Parish Avenue. The name of the town comes from Parish's youngest son, John. The boy was in a Denver hospital in 1902 when his father told him to get well because he was naming a town after him. Parish was the first mayor of Johnstown and held the position for many years after being re-elected several times. His son, John, assumed the title of mayor from 1929 to 1935.
Demographics
Johnstown is home to primarily white residents. The 2000 United States Census recorded 85 percent of the town's population as such. The median income for a household was $50,404, and 8.3 percent of the town's population was below the poverty line.
Facts
The first business to open in Johnstown was a lumber company in 1902. The following year, a post office opened. In 1904, the town saw rapid growth. That year, the Johnstown Breeze newspaper opened, and it remains in business today. Also, in 1904, Johnstown acquired a bank, a church and a new school. Some of the buildings on the main street were destroyed by fire in 1911. Frame buildings were replaced by brick ones and more businesses moved to Johnstown in the following years.
Significance
The Great Western Sugar Company's barium sugar plant in Johnstown was the only one of its kind in the world when it opened in 1925. Johnstown was hit by a meteorite on July 6, 1924. The "Johnstown Meteorite" fell just outside of town. The loud noise brought a local baseball game to a halt. A funeral service also was interrupted when part of the meteorite crashed onto the front steps of the church.
Features
Johnstown measures 1.1 square miles, according to the United States Census Bureau. All of the area is land. Today, the last house built by Parish and his wife is owned by the town and open to the public through the Johnstown Historical Society. The building is known as The Parish House and is the first museum in Johnstown. The museum includes antiques, graduation pictures and pioneer memorabilia.
About the Author:
Blue Gaia contributes green living, environmental, conservation, and alternative healing Internet content. She is published in "High Country News," "Gnosis" journal, and was a newspaper columnist. She writes about the effects of loss of habitat, endangered species issues and global climate change. She has an M.A. in systematic theology, with a concentration in South Asian religions from St. Mary’s University.
