Roy P. Johnson Papers

Collection

Identifier: Mss 147

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Roy P. Johnson Collection is divided into seven series: George A. Custer; Glyndon, Minnesota; Newspaper Excerpts; Pioneer Doctors and Medicine; Railroads; Red River Steamboating; and his newspaper articles. The George A. Custer Series is made up mostly of newspaper clippings on General Custer and related events. The first three files of clippings, primarily on Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, are divided into time periods: 1920 to 1931, 1932 to 1953, and 1954 to 1969. The remaining newspaper clippings are divided into files according to their subject. They include the Custer Drama, Fort Lincoln home, Custer Memorial, Custer TV Series, and Major Marcus Reno. The Glyndon, Minnesota Series includes the research done by Mr. Johnson on Glyndon's history, people, nearby communities, and events. The first fourteen main subject files are labeled and arranged in his original order. They include the Tenney family and kin, Carrie Deming Huntoon letter, Woodward family, Detroit Lakes, plus the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroad. The name index to the Red River Gazette includes references to persons associated with Glyndon and occasionally there are general name reference notes. This index was originally in card format. The Newspaper Excerpts Series contains articles of interest, to Mr. Johnson, taken from area newspapers. These articles have been left in their original order. The Fargo-Moorhead subject area consists primarily of articles on the Fargo Forum's history, which includes stories on former publishers, newsmen, and owners. There are also articles from the Daily Republican, Blade, Morning Call, Argus, and other area newspapers. The Glyndon, Minnesota subseries contains excerpts from various newspapers; all articles deal with the town. In the final folder is a copy of a card index listing subjects and people. The newspapers indexed include the Fargo Times, Moorhead Advocate, Red River Gazette, and Red River Valley News. The Pioneer Doctors and Medicine Series includes the research material and rough drafts of Mr. Johnson's articles on the region's first doctors and hospitals. The series maintains his original order. The research material collected by Mr. Johnson on railroads concerns the Canadian Pacific and Northern Pacific. The Northern Pacific files include information on its colonies including the towns of Detroit Lakes, Red River and Yeovil. The Red River Steamboating Series cover the years 1870-1881. There is also material on the Alsop steamboat, which is divided into three files: letters, newspaper articles, and notes. All material in this series has been kept in its original order. The Subject Files Series is comprised of research material collected by Mr. Johnson that falls outside the above six series. Included are files on Dr. J.A. Aasgard, Elizabeth Preston Anderson, Henry Ball, letters to the Forum editor by Dick Blanchard, and the history of the J.B. Blanchard family including material on Eliza Goebel. There is also research notes on Cass County, Clay County, the Fletcher story, Joseph Hoeffer, Hickson Lutheran Church and some of Mr. Johnson's personal notes. The file dealing with the expulsion of liquor dealers near Fargo in 1872 contains photostatic copies of documents and communications of the U.S. Marshall for Dakota and the U.S. Army, all dating from 1872. The Fargo Fire of 1893 file contains a photocopy of a card index compiled of all the homes destroyed, who lived there, and added notes listing if the person (family) was still in Fargo per the 1894 city directory. The Fargo-Moorhead Area History Chronology was originally a card file listing important dates in the history of the area. The early years are better represented than the later. This series also has material on the towns of Morris and New York Mills, Minnesota, St. Johns, North Dakota, and a winter series about small towns. The Red River Regional History Chronology was originally an extensive card file detailing important events in the history of this region. The largest part of the chronology covers the period of 1857 to 1877. It is especially complete in covering the 1862-1863 Indian uprising and Sibley Expedition. Finally, the series includes copies of the M.F. Steele letters, and a short history of the White Stone Battlefield written by Ed Hollen. The Roy P. Johnson Newspaper Articles Series consists of his many stories on the history of North Dakota and the Red River Valley published in the Forum. Included are articles on the Duke Vallambrosa, Fort Ransom, Manitoba Invasion, Theodore Roosevelt, and many more. They have been organized in alphabetical order by title.

Dates

1870-1969.

Creator

Johnson, Roy P. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

The Institute does not own the copyrights.

Biography

Roy P. Johnson was born May 1, 1899 in Hendrum, Minnesota and died in Moorhead, Minnesota on February 20, 1963. Mr. Johnson is best known for his work as a reporter-historian for the Fargo Forum, where he worked from 1927 to 1963.

After finishing high school in 1916, Mr. Johnson worked at a number of jobs; including as a station manager for the Great Northern Railroad, a telegrapher for Western Union and an Associated Press telegrapher for both the Fargo Courier-News and Fargo Forum. On June 15, 1921 he married Mary Cordelia LeVitre of Moorhead, Minnesota. The couple had no children. During World War II, he served in the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer in public relations and recruiting. He was a member of a number of historical societies in North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Manitoba. In 1958 he was appointed to the advisory council of the Civil War Centennial Commission, and in 1960 he served as a historical advisor for the Dakota Territorial Centennial Commission, plus two committees for the Minnesota centennial observances.

Extent

2.4 Linear Feet (2.4 lin. ft.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Local newspaper man who collected articles and wrote articles on different events and people significant to North Dakota and western Minnesota.

Provenance

Donated by Forum Publishing Company, 1983, (Acc. 2093).

Related materials

Some of Roy Johnson’s papers were donated to Assumption Abbey and later were transferred to the State Historical Society of North Dakota (Inventory to the Roy Johnson-Louis Pfaller Collection located in file with finding aid and biographical material)

Separation Record

The following non-manuscript materials have been separated from the Roy P. Johnson Collection and are in the section indicated. Maps (Photostatic copies)

J.B. Weaver & Company. Map of the City of Fargo, Dakota Territory, 1882. Lewis, E. W. Map of the City of Fargo, 1881 Morton & Company. Map of the City of Fargo, n.d. Photographs (Institute Photo Mss 85) John D. Snyder, publisher of Fargo Evening Post (Age 90) Fargo Times building Fargo Republican office and staff, ca. 1880 Fargo Republican Company share certificate to George I Foster, 1881 Argus staff Dana Wright folder on St. John, N.D., he and wife, and visit to Velva coal mine in 1958 (10 items) Alsop family (6 items) Rev. A. T. Deming, Glyndon, Minn. (7 items) Glyndon, Minn. and Tenney family (14 items) Joseph Hoeffer monument and "Trail West" play (negatives) Manuscripts Made their own Collection

Patrick Costello, SC 580 William P. Fay, SC 581 James B. Connolly, SC 579