DARYL JOHNSON

I was born at home only 1/4 mile from the St. Cloud Reformatory and lived there till my folks bought a farm in Lindstrom. I attended the first 9 grades of school at Riverview which was the “laboratory” school for St. Cloud (at that time) – Teachers College. The lab school was where many education majors did their practice teaching which was required as part of their degree program. Riverview was a great school with small classes and great teachers, most of whom had masters degrees and some with doctorates.

I went to St. Cloud Technical High School my sophomore, junior and senior year until September 1951 when we moved to Lindstrom, where I graduated from High School.

I had always had an interest in history, partly from my Mom who was a teacher. Wherever I traveled, which was all over the U.S. and several foreign countries, the local history always got my interest.

In 1970 we moved to Rush City where we (my wife Donna and I) got interested in the North Chapter. We retired back to Lindstrom in 1997 and got re-interested in the North Chapter and “got involved”. I agreed to serve as co-president due to the fact we live in the south part of the county. The “nuts and bolts” of history has always fascinated me. Such things as tools, weapons, crops and foods. We have spent the last 3 winters in Deming, New Mexico where we both volunteer with local Historical groups. Donna at the first US Custom House in New Mexico and I presently at the Pancho Villa museum nearby.

My goal as a member of NCHS has been to get the artifact collection cataloged, increased and on display to be appreciated, hopefully by young people.