Michael W. Johnson papers
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of correspondence, research, writing samples, and other files pertaining to the work of Michael W. Johnson. These materials would be particularly useful to those interested in railroad history, Daggett County, and the operation of the Utah State History Fair.
Dates
- 1865-2006
Language of Materials
Material in English
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Michael W. Johnson papers must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.
Biographical Note
Michael W. Johnson, born in Illinois and raised in Arizona, first came to Utah in 1983 after receiving his bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University. He enrolled at Utah State University to pursue a master’s degree in history, which he completed in 1987. After graduation, he worked as an interpreter on the Jensen Living Historical Farm and later served as the director of the Utah State History Fair Program. This experience, coupled with his stint as a park ranger at Golden Spike National Monument, gave Johnson the experience to work as a historical and museum consultant. In this capacity, he helped museums such as the Ely Anderson Wagon and Carriage Museum and the Jensen Living Historical Farm to draft proposals, studies, and grants. Johnson was always an active historian. In the 1990s, he collaborated with Robert Parson and Daniel Stebbins to write A History of Daggett County: A Modern Frontier, an installment in the Utah Centennial County History Series. Johnson also had an interest in railroad history, an interest reflected in this collection. He died in February of 2007 after a battle with cancer.
Extent
8 boxes (3.5 linear feet)
Abstract
This collection contains materials pertaining to Michael W. Johnson, a public historian involved in the Utah State History Fair, the Jensen Living Historical Farm, and the Golden Spike National Monument.
Arrangement
This collection was arranged by topic.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to USU Special Collections and Archives in 2009 by Suzanne Johnson.
Processing Information
Processed in April of 2018.
- Title
- Guide to the Michael W. Johnson papers 1865-2006
- Author
- Finding aid/Register created by Frankie Urrutia-Smith and Clint Pumphrey
- Date
- ©2018
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid encoded in English.
Revision Statements
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu