GRAND TETON A Tale of Dough Gods, Bear Grease, Cantaloupe, and Sucker Oil: Marymere/Pinetree/Mae-Lou/AMK Ranch

Between 1913 and 1918, Herbert Drake defaulted on the payment of county property taxes on Sargent's Pinetree Ranch. On July 11, 1914, the County Treasurer sold the property for back taxes at a tax sale and after the 3-year waiting period required by law, issued a treasurer's deed for the foregoing property on August 20, 1918 (Lincoln Co., 1918). In the intervening years from 1918-26, there were five different owners of that property (Lincoln Co., 1919; Teton Co., 1925). In those years, trappers like Don Graham, George Greenwood, Jim Webb, Charlie Fesler, John Wort and W. Lawrence camped in the living room area of the Sargent cabin. Windows of this room were covered with canvas and a stove was set up with the stovepipe going up the fireplace chimney. Itinerant livestock periodically stayed in the other areas of the cabin (W. Lawrence, 1978).

At this juncture, another Easterner was about to play an important role in the history of the Sargent homestead. In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near the James River on July 4, 1872, William Louis Johnson was born (U.S. Census, 1880; New York City, 1931). This area was the Scottsville District of Albemarle County, Virginia. Reconstruction following the Civil War was in full swing when Johnson was born and it was a difficult period for Albemarle County. The agricultural crop structure was changing from wheat and tobacco to more diversified products with an emphasis on fruit production. Transportation was evolving from canal and river travel to railroad travel. Also, industrial development was slowly taking place. Despite the problems, the county was making an effort to carry education forward as part of these transitional activities (Moore, 1976).

William Johnson was the third child born to Malinda Eubank and James Barclay Johnson, a carpenter (Miller Manual Labor School, 1880; New York City, 1931). William had 3 sisters and 3 brothers. In order of birth, they were Ellen, Florence, George, James, Cecil and Cabell (U.S. Census, 1880). Sometime shortly after the last child was born the mother died. In 1880, the father was described as being insane (Miller Manual Labor School, 1880). While no specifics are available, the seven children were left without any support (Miller Manual Labor School, 1880; 1882; 1887).

James' brother, David, took all seven of his nieces and nephews into his family of nine children. He also cared for his insane brother who was later in the year placed in an asylum (U.S. Census, 1880; Miller Manual Labor School, 1880). Such a burden was too great for David to sustain very long; and by the mid-1880s, all of the James B. Johnson children had been placed in widely dispersed guardian homes. No record of the youngest child, Cabell, was available beyond the 1880 Census, which suggests the child died at an early age. By 1882, the children were orphaned by the death of their father (Miller Manual Labor School, 1882). It would be hard to imagine a more difficult set of circumstances for the young Johnson children to endure.

Through his guardian, J. L. Johnson of Scottsville, Virginia, William applied to and was accepted as the 74th student by the Miller Manual Labor School at Batesville, Virginia, on May 4, 1880 (Miller Manual Labor School, 1880). On his application, it stated that William's parents or guardian did not have any "pecuniary means" for his maintenance and education. Thus began a relationship which was to profoundly influence William L. Johnson (Fig. 28).

Fig. 28. William Louis Johnson, 1884. (Miller School of Albemarle Coll., Miller School, VA.)

Samuel Miller, a legendary Albemarle philanthropist, established the Miller Manual Labor School through a well endowed bequest in his will (Figs. 29; 30). The general purpose of this unique school was to provide "a sound English education, instilling in its students the value of hard work and the self-satisfaction gained from a job well done" (Miller School, 1985). Students were to be selected by Albemarle School Commissioners with no more than 100 students to be accommodated at any one time from first grade through grade 12. Such education was to be free to the students, selecting as many poor or orphaned children as possible (Runk, 1973). In addition, Miller's will stated:

"It is further my will, that the pupils shall be fed and clothed in a plain, substantial and comfortable manner, and their health cared and provided for by medical aid and attention, when necessary, while they remain at school herein provided for.... I also will and direct that the said pupils shall not be required to perform manual labor more than six hours out of every twenty-four hours nor be treated with cruelty or severity."

Fig. 29. Main building, Miller Manual Labor School, ca 1900. (C. R. Thurman Coll., Acc. No. Pnts. 54, Neg. No. NP 54.184. Manuscripts Dept., Univ. of VA Library, Charlottesville, VA.)

Fig. 30. Shop building, Miller Manual Labor School, ca 1900. (C. R. Thurman Coll., Acc. No. Pnts. 54, Neg. No. NP 54.192. Manuscripts Dept., Univ. of VA Library, Charlottesville, VA.)

Runk (1973) further described the school program:

"The school routine in the early 80's was clear cut and interesting. We find that at 6 A.M. the boys rise, dress and make up their beds. At 6:30 the doors to the sleeping apartments are locked, and all the boys are required to go to their respective lavatories, where they wash, comb their hair, brush their shoes, and prepare for breakfast for which the bell rings at 7:00. At 7:50 the bell rings for prayers, after which the boys go to their respective school rooms. At 10:00 a recess is given for twenty minutes, when work is resumed and continues till twelve o'clock. At twelve the lavatories are opened, and the boys prepare for dinner which comes at 12:15. At 1:30 the boys are assigned their regular manual work. At 4:00 the bell rings for rest and recreation. At 6:00 the lavatories are opened and the boys prepare for supper. At 6:15 the bell rings for supper. At 8:00 the boys go to the Assembly Halls for study. At 8:45 the bell rings for prayers, after which the boys in the Primary Department go to bed, and those of the Higher Department return to the Study Hall. At 9:30 all study for the night closes. At 10:00 the boys are required to be in bed.

Formal instruction was given in mathematics from arithmetic through descriptive geometry and conic sections. Greek, Latin, French and German were offered in the language department. Free hand drawing and mechanical drawing were required. Chemistry and Natural History covered a wide range of topics taught with special reference to their practical applications in the agricultural and mechanical arts and for the purpose of training the students to intelligently observe the various features of nature. Theoretical and practical physics were taught, instruction was given in bookkeeping and penmanship to better equip the student in their subsequent roles. A course in music was offered as well as work in printing. Work in electrical engineering and civil engineering was chiefly of a practical nature. The electrical engineering student learned how to make electrical machines such as bells, telegraph instruments, telephones, dynamos and registers. Some of the electrical engineering students became practical telegraph operators and maintained the private telegraph line to Crozet. The civil engineers specialized in surveying and railroad practice.

With the completion of the workshop in 1882 students were assigned to practice in the department of Industrial Training at the age of 15. Three years were to be spent in this course as follows:

1st year -	Woodwork
2nd year -	Iron work Technical drawing
3rd year -	Iron work continued Brass work How to make and use steam Finishing work in wood Technical drawing

The philosophy of the workshop was the development of the boys in a skilled and intelligent use of materials, tools and machines in a practical examination of trained minds to the production of material wealth, and the best means of using materials and energies to the accomplishment of this end.

Fifteen hours per week was spent in shop practice. In the iron room the boys practiced in filing, reaming, tapping, screw machine work, drilling, lathing, and blacksmithing.

In the tool room the students were taught to make and temper all tools required in the shop, i.e. taps, dies, drills, etc. and in the engine room and boiler room the student learned of the production of steam, both high and low pressure, the conduction of steam, pressure, care of boilers and the operation of the steam engines which ran the shop machinery. Woodwork and all of its aspects was considered and practiced in the wood room.

From the earliest days of the school the farm provided in large part the meat, milk, butter and vegetables required to feed the students and staff. By 1884 the farm consisted of 1,000 acres much of it in a high state of cultivation, i.e., 75 acres in corn, 75 acres in oats, 180 acres in good pasture, 50 acres in meadow. Twelve horses were engaged in farm work and eight horses in constant work on road maintenance. A fine herd of cows provided milk and butter for the school. Sixty hogs were raised and fed on the 'slops from the kitchen.' The horticulture department was charged with supplying the school with a sufficient variety of fruits and vegetables over the longest possible period of the year. The department reported in 1885, 'The quality of the land, the limited supply of barnyard manure, coupled with ever recurring protracted droughts, tend to make this a difficult problem, but from present appearances it seems to be feasible to some extent.' Vineyards provided grapes, orchards pears, peaches, and apples, small fruits such as blackberries, raspberries, currants, and gooseberries appeared to bear well, while the gardens provided peas, cabbage, snaps, potatoes, onions, beets and sweet corn.

Students provided and were assigned as a source of labor for the farm. The horticultural department and ten students made up a class on bee culture and assisted in all observations and manipulations of the forty colony apiary."

William Johnson resided at the Miller Manual Labor School until 1887 (Miller School, No date). At 16, he was expelled for hazing some of the new students. As he was departing, William reportedly stated he understood why he was being expelled and did not have any ill feelings against the school. Furthermore, he said he would repay the school for all the great things it had done for him (Crawford, 1985).

William's brothers, James and George, also attended the Miller Manual Labor School (1882; 1887). After his education, George went west and died a young man in a mining disaster in Montana (Fig. 31). James taught engineering at Virginia Polytechnical Institute and then at Clemson College, South Carolina. He was married and had one daughter. Also, William's sisters were provided with an education, two of them at an Episcopal boarding school in Richmond, Virginia. Although no records were found, Cecil, the youngest girl, was reported as having attended the Miller School. All three sisters were married; Ellen had two sons and Cecil had one son (Fig. 32) (Pryor, 1985).

Fig. 31. George Johnson, Helena, MT. (Gayle Pryor Coll., Charlottesville, VA.)

Fig. 32. William Johnson's sisters and nephew: Front row (l-r) Mary Ellen Pryor, baby Ed Pryor, William and Florence Martin/Anderson; Back row (l) Cecil Railey. (Gayle Pryor Coll., Charlottesville, VA.)

William Johnson's activities after leaving Miller School are poorly known. The Grand Teton (1932), reporting the remarks of Reverend Mills at the dedication of the Johnson gravesite, suggested that William lost little time in seeking his fortune. Apparently, he was engaged in selling mathematical and scientific instruments in Philadelphia and Chicago. He later became involved as a partner in this type of business in the latter city. William is said to have made one fortune and then lost it (Pryor, 1985). If one were to speculate, William probably lost that fortune in the Chicago partnership venture prior to working for the Bausch and Lomb Optical Company in Syracuse, New York.

At the start of World War I, Johnson left Bausch and Lomb and became the Division Manager of the Eastern Sales Division of the Hoover Suction Sweeper Company (Grand Teton, 1932; Love, 1986). This is where he made his second fortune. During his 10 years with the Hoover Company, the Eastern Sales Division had sales totaling $30 million, and William profited nearly like an independent business man (Smith, 1986). In a Hoover sales contest in 1921, Johnson won the Division Managers' Cup. In addition, his Division broke all sales records for the week before Christmas (Ibaisaic, 1922).

Ellsworth Smith was the Hoover Company Art Director when William was Division Manager. He described him as:

"rather handsome, just slightly overweight, and had a ready smile.... He was much like H. W. Hoover, kind, considerate of others, and modest.... Lou got every 'bit' of the worthy things out of life because he put an abundance of good things in" (Smith, 1986).

These traits were manifested many times over outside of his job. William was very caring for his sisters and brothers. He was generous, sharing his wealth with them. Also, William paid for his nephews' education at the Augusta Military School in Ft. Defiance, Virginia (Pryor, 1985).

On November 22, 1915, Johnson married Mae Eastman, both in their early 40s, in Chicago (Fig. 33) (Cook Co., 1915). Mae, a native of Portage, Wisconsin (State of OH, 1930), had been Mr. Johnson's secretary (W. Lawrence, 1978). The Johnson home was located at 147 Greenway North in Forest Hills, New York (New York City, 1931). All evidence suggests their marriage was a happy one filled with a variety of adventure (Fig. 34). They did not have any children.

Fig. 33. William and Mae Eastman Johnson. (Miller School of Albemarle Coll., Miller School, VA.)

Fig. 34. William and Mae Johnson's airplane flight over Atlantic City, 1920. (Miller School of Albemarle Coll., Miller School, VA.)

Johnson worked for the Hoover Company for 10 years until 1926 or 1927, when he retired at the age of 54 or 55. A measure of the warm esteem William enjoyed was evident in his retirement party at the McAlpin Hotel. Some 400 friends and associates, including all of the Hoover Company top executives, gathered for that retirement send-off (Grand Teton, 1932; Smith, 1986).

Johnson's retirement was not a sedentary one. While attending a late 1920s homecoming at the Miller School, Johnson decided to provide money for revamping the school's water system. This included rebuilding and strengthening the water reservoir dam and installing new delivery lines to and from the reservoir. That system was completed in 1930 and a bronze plaque at the Miller School recognizes Johnson's generous gift (Leonard, 1985; Crawford, 1985). In addition, he was active in the Alumni Association (Flannagan, 1985).

In the Summer 1923, William Johnson stayed at the Brooks Lake Lodge, a dude ranch between Dubois and Moran, Wyoming. Several other Hoover Company executives were also known to stay at this lodge. W. Lawrence recalled meeting Johnson there and answering Johnson's many questions about the Jackson Hole country. Finally Johnson said, "Wait a minute until I get my coat" and he left with Lawrence without his baggage, still asking questions all the way to Sheffield's Teton Lodge in Moran. He never went back to Brooks Lake that summer and stayed in Moran every summer until he built his own lodge (W. Lawrence, 1978; Sheffield, 1985). His wife joined him in 1923 and in future stays at Moran.

Unlike Sargent, Johnson made many lasting friends with the local residents from the very beginning of his arrival in Jackson Hole. It was his friend, Ben Sheffield Sr., who suggested Johnson should consider buying the John D. Sargent homestead (Allen, 1985a). Johnson took his advice and acquired the property from a Jackson banker's widow, Beatrice Wagner, on December 18, 1926, for $1 "and other good and valuable considerations" (Teton Co., 1926). Johnson obtained title insurance for his property so he was not too worried when Mary Sargent and Edith Drake challenged his ownership several years later. Separately, the two women tried to break the tax title; but the suits were dropped and the issue never went to court (W. Lawrence, 1978).

Johnson set about building his "second" home south of the Sargent cabin sometime in 1927 (Fig. 35). The New England style building with a breezeway connecting it to the adjacent barn was not completed until 1930 (W. Lawrence, 1981). The lodge initially was designed as a single-story structure. However, because of numerous bears in the area, it is said that Mrs. Johnson decided she would not sleep in a ground floor room with that kind of wildlife. As a result, the building became a two-story structure (W. Lawrence, 1978).

Fig. 35. Johnson's Mae-Lou-Lodge, early 1930s. (Gayle Pryor Coll., Charlottesville, VA.)

The long construction time for the lodge was related to the fact that: (1) the building logs were cut on the opposite side of Jackson Lake around Moran Bay; (2) the green cut logs had to be dried over winter and the bark peeled in the following spring; and (3) the concrete foundation and below ground concrete rooms were added after the building was built on wooden piers. Charlie Fox was the main building contractor; Bill Woodward from Kelly, Wyoming, constructed the two main fireplaces; and Mr. Morrell was the concrete mason (W. Lawrence, 1978; 1981).

Interestingly, the first pressurized water system in Jackson Hole was part of the lodge building plans. Unfortunately, the building contractor had never seen a pressurized system much less having the water tank buried in the ground. Consequently, they supported the 2,000± gallon pressure tank in the attic where it froze during its first year's use. It was never used thereafter and remains as an impressive monument to poor communication between the system designer and the contractor (W. Lawrence, 1978). Another unusual structure is seen in the north fireplace chimney. A large flat, stone hearth incorporated into and solely supported by the chimney proper as part of the second floor fireplace is a unique feature.

The adjoining barn had 8 horse stalls, 2 tack, grain and general storage rooms and an overhead hayloft. Horse corrals extended out from the east side of the building into what is now a parking area (W. Lawrence, 1978).

Johnson initially hired Clarence Ryerson as his caretaker. However, he was succeeded by Bob and Eva Grimmesey who began work sometime in 1927 and continued until 1929 when Bob became ill. Johnson then hired W. C. "Slim" Lawrence as caretaker. Slim and his new bride moved into the new lodge in the Spring 1930 (W. Lawrence, 1978).

As soon as the lodge was completed, Johnson had a telephone installed. The line for this telephone was part of the Bureau of Reclamation line from the Jackson Lake Dam to Ashton, Idaho. It was hung in elliptical insulators which were fastened to trees or poles and Slim Lawrence maintained portions of it. For electricity, he had a 700-watt Kohier gasoline engine generator located in the lodge utility room. However, the generator was removed to a small log cabin just north of the lodge because of the unbearable engine noise. At this time, the size of the generator was increased to 1,000 watts (W. Lawrence, 1981).

Some idea of the furnishings and decorations inside the lodge can be gained from Fig. 36. While these photographs were taken when the property was owned by the Berols, they had left the furnishings essentially unchanged from those utilized by Johnson. A complete inventory of Johnson's furnishings and personal effects on the Mae-Lou-Lodge property was listed in the Teton County District Court records (Teton Co., 1932a).

Fig. 36. Living room of Johnson's Mae-Lou Lodge. (W. C. Lawrence Coll., Moran, WY (Jackson Hole Museum).)

Once these main buildings were completed, Johnson set about constructing additional structures. Those included an open pole and frame woodshed, a log chicken coop, a log blacksmith shop, a log smokehouse and a log boathouse-icehouse combination (Fig. 37). In 1931, Johnson purchased three log cabins from the Hogan homestead, south of the current Moran entrance gate of Grand Teton National Park. All of these cabins were completely disassembled with everything but the roof and floors being moved to Johnson's ranch. Each building was reconstructed on a rock and concrete foundation with a new roof and floor. Slim Lawrence designed the rock arrangement of a fireplace in the 3-room Hogan cabin and Ernie Moore did the actual masonry construction. The rocks in that fireplace supposedly are representative of the rock formations found in Jackson Hole (W. Lawrence, 1978). Looking at the construction materials and the equipment installed in the ranch buildings, it was evident as Slim Lawrence (1978) stated, "Johnson was a fussy man who wanted only the best of everything incorporated into his property."

Fig. 37. Johnson's boathouse and pier, Jackson Lake, late 1920s. (W. C. Lawrence Coll., Moran, WY (Jackson Hole Museum).)

The site of the aforementioned buildings was given the name "Mae-Lou-Lodge" which was an amalgamation of Mrs. Johnson's first name and William's middle name. They even created stationery letterhead which utilized a bucking horse symbol with the words "At the Sign of the Bucking Bronco, Mae-Lou-Lodge."

Despite his humble background, Johnson easily adapted to a life of affluence. He liked to travel and play golf (N.Y. Times, 1931) yet was equally at home in the western rural environment of Jackson Hole. In the East, his relatives always remember him as very fashionable in dress, arriving in a chauffeured car and staying at the best hotel in Charlottesville (Fig. 38) (Pryor, 1985). In the West, Slim Lawrence (1978) related an event which describes Johnson's adaptability for an entirely different lifestyle (Fig. 39). During a trip in Yellowstone National Park, Johnson and Lawrence stopped to eat at the Old Faithful Inn. Neither had a tie or coat and Johnson was wearing a leather vest. They were, as a result, refused service in the dining room. Lawrence recalled, "Johnson told them to go to hell, hauled out his checkbook and threatened to buy the Inn!" Whereupon they were permitted to eat there.

Fig. 38. William Johnson, Chicago, IL, 1895. (Gayle Pryor Coll., Charlottesville, VA.)

Fig. 39. William Johnson (standing), Jackson Hole, late 1920s. (W. C. Lawrence Coll., Moran, WY (Jackson Hole Museum).)

Johnson's kindness and generosity were manifested in a variety of ways. When his nephew wanted to accompany Johnson to Wyoming, he first sent him to a chauffeur school. Then he permitted him to drive him to Wyoming in Johnson's large touring car (Pryor, 1985). In Wyoming, he bought bicycles for several Moran boys and contributed the purse for the Jackson rodeo bucking bronco contest (W. Lawrence, 1978). In addition, he helped a number of Jackson Hole people purchase or improve property with mortgages he financed (Teton Co., 1932).

The gentle side of Johnson extended to various animals. One year he paid $5 for a horse to be used as bear bait. Johnson became so attached to him he called him "Smokey" and had Slim break him. The horse wasn't too cooperative when being shod. Consequently, Johnson paid $500 for a horseshoeing stanchion so Slim could shoe Smokey easily (W. Lawrence, 1981).

Johnson preferred riding over walking. Therefore, he kept about seven horses at the ranch. Included was a team used to pull a wagon for hauling firewood. Usually, these horses were wintered on the Elk Ranch (W. Lawrence, 1978; 1979).

Fishing and particularly hunting were Johnson's passion. Even though he was a short, heavy-set man, he was on the go every day and couldn't sit still (W. Lawrence, 1978). He purchased several membership shares in a developing waterfowl gun club in Kern County, California. In Mercer County, Illinois, he owned Bar and Keg Islands in the Mississippi River, presumably for hunting and fishing (Queens Co., 1932). For all of that, Johnson's diverse hunting and fishing reached their zenith during his stays at the Teton Lodge and Mae-Lou-Lodge. He would arrive in early spring and stay until November to take advantage of the seasons (W. Lawrence, 1978).

Fishing on Jackson Lake was done from his very fine "clinker" built boat outfitted with an outboard motor. Also, Johnson liked to fish in the ponds and lakes that Slim helped stock in the northern Jackson Hole country. Slim recalled that Johnson wasn't much of a fisherman because he was too nervous (W. Lawrence, 1978; 1979).

Johnson's annual hunting activities usually began with an antelope hunt along the Sweetwater River in Wyoming (Fig. 40). During the same trip, usually 2 weeks, he hunted Sage Grouse near Daniel (W. Lawrence, 1979). Clarence Ryerson and Ben Sheffield Jr. guided Johnson on his elk hunts to Two Ocean Pass (W. Lawrence, 1981; Sheffield, 1985). Slim guided Johnson on various hunts. They hunted bighorn sheep out of Granite Creek around the head of Crystal Creek in Teton County. Johnson loved to swim, so they camped near the Granite Hot Springs pool. Slim also guided Johnson on a number of hunts into the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. From their base camp, they hunted mule deer and mountain goats (Fig. 41) and speared salmon in the river.

Fig. 40. William Johnson at Sweetwater River antelope hunting camp. (Gayle Pryor Coll., Charlottesville, VA.)

Fig. 41. William Johnson (4th from left) at Middle Fork of Salmon River hunting camp. (W. C. Lawrence Coll., Moran, WY (Jackson Hole Museum).)

In between big game trips, Johnson would hunt Blue Grouse, Ruffed Grouse and waterfowl around the Jackson Lake area. They had blinds set up near Berry Creek where they primarily shot Canada Geese and Canvasback ducks. In the fall, at the Snake River, opposite Berry Creek, Johnson installed a rope across the river to make the crossing by boat easier.

Johnson appeared to enjoy spring bear hunting the most. He enjoyed watching the bears and trophy hunting over Slim's bait stations around Arizona Lake. These stations consisted of a decaying horse carcass enclosed in a log crib or decaying suckers placed in an old milk can punched full of holes and wired to a tree. The Mae-Lou-Lodge contained pelts of black and grizzly bears which Johnson had shot. He was particularly fond of donuts cooked in bear grease and at one time had two pet bear cubs.

Many of Johnson's other hunting trophies were placed in the lodge (Fig. 36) (W. Lawrence, 1978; 1979; 1981). H.W. Hoover Sr., one of the founders of the Hoover Sweeper Company, hunted many times in Wyoming with Johnson. In fact, Hoover built a lodge in Ohio similar to those he had seen out West. That lodge is still furnished with some animal trophies that Hoover acquired with Johnson (Love, 1986).

Mrs. Johnson always accompanied her husband to Moran. However, in the late 1920s, her physical condition began to deteriorate and much of the time she was ill. She was only able to enjoy the Mae-Lou-Lodge for a little over a year (W. Lawrence, 1978). She died of cancer at a private hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 1, 1930 (State of OH, 1930).

In the Fall 1931, Johnson went on two Idaho big game hunting trips to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with Slim between September 28 and October 21 (V. Lawrence, 1931-35). On his way home to New York on the train, he became ill from a heart disorder. After receiving treatment in Chicago, he proceeded on to his Forest Hills home. He continued feeling ill and died on December 8, 1931, in New York City (1931). When notified of his death, Mrs. W. C. (Verba) Lawrence (1931-35) remarked, "We loved him very much. This is truly one of our saddest days."

Through his will, Mr. Johnson continued to demonstrate his kindness and generosity. At his death, his estate was appraised at nearly $910,000 (Pryor, 1985a). Besides his bequests to relatives, Johnson provided the Miller Manual Labor School with an unrestricted $400,000 trust to be administered by the Irving Trust Company of New York City. This trust has increased in size to its current value of $1.1 million (Leonard, 1985). In addition, miscellaneous personal property was given to the Miller Manual Labor School, which changed its name to Miller School of Albemarle in 1950. The provisions of Johnson's will were never contested; however, the great diversity of Johnson's assets, coupled with the impact of the Depression, were responsible for Irving Trust's prolonged efforts to settle the estate (Queens Co., 1932).

A lasting tribute to the Johnsons was made by their friends on July 31, 1932. Less than 100 yards west of the Sargent cabin, they dedicated a stone memorial containing the ashes of both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson (Fig. 42). Most appropriately, the Reverend Mills (Grand Teton, 1932) concluded the dedication as follows:

"One reads the facts of these lives, one views the solid ideal around which they were built, and one returns to one's own life resolved somehow with renewed consecration and renewed vigor of dedication to build his life like this."

Fig. 42. Johnson grave and memorial dedication, July 31, 1932. (Teton Co. Historical Research Center, Acc. No. 1103. Jackson, WY (Dedication); W. C. Lawrence Coll., Moran, WY (Jackson Hole Museum) (plaque).)