The Johnson Journals, Chapter 10

The Dahlberg Years 1936-1945
Don Johnson Journals and Letters
Presented by Byrne Johnson • Part 10

[On 1/30/40, Don and Layna left with Lewis Keyes and Fred Mulkholm(?) to be a part of the staff of the Falls Chamber of Commerce booth at the Chicago Sports Show at Navy Pier. While in Chicago they stayed in the Dahlberg apartment. Following are some quotes from the stay in Chicago.]
• Looked out of windows at 999 Lakeshore Drive and wondered where in the hell all the cars were going. Played imaginary hunting game and bagged my limit.
• B. G. [Dahlberg] discussed Island View. Not so hot but not too bad so far.
• Went to Navy Pier and had helluva time uncrating exhibit. Everything set ready for tomorrow.
• Show opened with a bang. Gus Carlson had meeting in room to get us organized. Good bunch there, but pretty heavy on the bull.
• Enjoyed another breakfast with B. G. He gave us $20 to take in a show.
• Stayed at Pier from 1 to 11. Its a helluva long grind.
• Viger took evening off. Don’t blame him. Will do same myself tomorrow.
• Later went to Irene’s apt. and discussed impressionistic art. I still don’t like it.
• Saw Bruggeman and McIntyre.
• Bought “The Book House” for the kids. $50.00. Wonder if we will ever get it paid.
[The Johnsons took advantage of their stay in Chicago to take in some entertainment.]
• Slightly Dishonest Liked it a lot. Pat O’Brien starred.
• Saw Greta Garbo in Ninotchka.
• Saw W. C. Fields and Mae West in My Little Chicadee — a rowdy picture but a good one.
• Went to see Duke Ellington. Sure was something.
• Got up at 8 a.m. to see Gone With the Wind. Stood in line outside in the snow storm with about 1000 other people for one hour before getting in. Sat for 1 hour before performance started. It was worth it.
• Joined Layna, Irene and her friend downtown and saw play The Man who Came to Dinner. A scream - a personal one.
• Went to the Ivanhoe. A swell dump but a little out of my class.
[A note in the journal concerning car expense for the trip showed the following:
Traveled 1436 miles, averaged 15.8 mpg, 90.7 gal of gas @ $.20/gal and 9 qt of oil @ approx. $.27/qt. Total cost for gas and oil = $20.45.

2/16/40 Saw Bo McCormick. & George LaValle. Both seemed satisfied with work done at Chicago. Told them I was too. Brot kids home after noon. Going on lake pretty good. Everything O.K. on island. Sure good to get home.
2/20/40 Went to town and talked to Chamber of Commerce on trip to Chicago.

Winter Phone Line
[In addition to the paths that connected the buildings at Redcrest, most had electric and some had plumbing connections. The caretaker's house, the main house, the guest house and the teepee also had battery powered, hand cranked telephones. These phones were used for internal communication and saved a lot of walking and loud shouting. The most cursed phone was the one in the teepee which was seldom used except to call the butler to deliver drinks a long way from his usual work area.
As soon as the lake was well frozen, the caretakers removed the telephones and put them with the neighbors. Then they strung a single strand of haywire as a telephone line across islands attached to trees and across the lake on poles frozen into the ice. This was an international service of about three miles of wire where each place had its distinctive ring and was operated as any normal party line at that time except that there wasn’t an operator. Invitations to visit, shopping requests and prize fight results were among the significant conversations carried on.]

1/12/40 Ed [Johnson] came over in the morning to put up telephone line. Finished with telephone about 4 p.m. Quite a job as ice was about 16 inches thick. Frank was too busy to help so Harry, Ed and I did it alone. Harry insisted on trying it several times "To warm up the wire." Finns are giving the Russians an awful beating.

Village of Island View
In 1939 Bob Cole, the owner of Island View Lodge, asked Don and Layna if they would be willing to help him establish the Village of Island View. At that time, liquor licenses could only be held in incorporated municipalities and Bob was anxious to have a legal, full service resort. They were willing and helped draw the boundaries which would be big enough to include eleven year round residents of voting age, the minimum required to establish a village.
On October 30, 1939, the village was established and Don was elected to be the first mayor and Layna was elected treasurer. Harry Robinson, the caretaker at the Backus estate, was appointed to the position of Justice of the Peace for the new village. They joked about it at the time as it was felt that Harry was the only one in the village who knew much about the law, since he had spent six months in the federal correction facility in Duluth for moonshining during the prohibition years. He placed all other events in his life as before or after this period, which he always referred to as his “vacation.”

Three letters to Don from Bror Dahlberg that winter and spring dealt with Bror’s concerns about the new village which included not only Jackfish Island where Red Crest was located, but also what is now known as Gold Shores, which the Dahlbergs also owned.
January 15, 1940
“I have received this morning some rather astonishing information. This information purports to indicate that you have joined with others for petitioning for the incorporation of Red Crest and other property into a village to be known as Island View; Further, that at a recent election you were elected President, L.M. Herrem as Recorder, Layna Johnson as Treasurer, and Omer Bygland, Carl Pfeifer and Miss Clara Lund as Trustees. I find this information hard to believe and would ask that you kindly write me very fully by return mail about this matter.”

February 23, 1940
“After thinking about the Island View incorporation matter, I have formed a very decided opinion on the subject. You suggest that instead of taxes going up, you think taxes can be reduced, but it is not in the makeup of things for taxes to be permanently lowered by any incorporation. Sooner or later running expenses will creep up, salaries will be required, and improvements will be called for and voted in very largely, probably, by those instrumental in causing the incorporation, and the taxpayers will be building up and beautifying Island View. I am inclined, therefore, to most emphatically oppose this incorporation but will withhold definite action until I hear from you further to this letter.”

March 21, 1940
“I am still very much opposed to the Island View township matter because I can see for the future nothing but increased costs and, therefore, taxes. At any rate, I am determined that so far as we are concerned, we do not want to be dragged into it and I have two suggestions:
1. Rearrange the township territory so that it will not include our property, or
2. Cancel the incorporation.
In view of this attitude, in which I am very positive, what is your suggestion?”

Landscaping
[It was always a major effort each spring to get ready for the Dahlbergs’ July 4 arrival with painting of boats and canoes, complete house cleaning, hooking up plumbing, etc. 1940 was different in that there was a larger than usual crew and also a great deal of landscaping done. Some quotes from the journals: 5/16/40 – 6/9/40]
• Rainy, cold & miserable. Omer and I worked on Ford. Made box to haul dirt. rv spaded flower gardens. Quig cleaned up.
• Finally made great trip up hill with Ford. It went fine. Beats the wheelbarrow all to hell. Hauled 5 yards. Irv used Frank’s power sander to take paint off bottom of Bee Gee. Gave Thompson last coat of paint.
• Hauled 10 yards of dirt from [Tilson] bridge. Made it up the hill with Ford. Works slick.
• Went to Duluth in truck with Arvid Larson. Picked up trees and shrubs from nursery. Drove 360 miles. Wonder if my ears will ever quit ringing. Hauled everything across in barge. 5 a.m. - 8 p.m. - long day.
• Planted all trees that I brot home from Duluth. A long day.
• Planted honey suckles and roses by old guest house. Planted perennials around main house.
• Strong east wind. Hauled 2 barge loads of dirt. Ford still running fine. Sure is a life saver.
• Clear & warm — Memorial Day. Painted second coat on deck of Thompson. Hauled 1 barge of dirt.
• Went to town. Got lots and lots of plants. Hauled one barge of dirt. Brought kids home. No more school. Mighty good report cards with all of them.
• 1 barge of dirt in morning. Helped Arvid load sand. Planted most of garden by house.
• Cloudy — rained in evening. Finished hauling dirt. 1 barge load. 70 trips up the hill without a mishap. Well done! Planted last of garden by our house.
• Planted all of plants bot from Shaw. Need a few more. Started to rake up along path. Reseeded lawn in places. Chicks arrived. Buck “If I had someone to finance me, I could have all kinds of ideas.” Slim “If I had someone to finance me, I wouldn’t need any ideas.”
• Hauled gas from Tilson.
• Fixed brooder for chix. Went fishing with Jack & Sylvia [Green] after supper. Caught 13 pike.