B A Johnson & Sons
Weld County
Claus A. Johnson, Swedish immigrant, came to the Eaton, Colorado area, by way of Minnesota and then the silver mines West of Denver. Finding family life difficult in the mining culture, he quickly took the opportunity when he learned of farm work in Northern Colorado.
B A Johnson & Sons
He moved his wife, Hilda, and young boys east of Eaton, working as a farm hand then tenant farmer and soon was able in March of 1917 to purchase the quarter section where Barry Johnson, his grandson, now lives with his wife, Paula. There he raised his children (Walter, Bruce, Irene, Mabel and Berniece) in the “Eaton House: on the corner. (The “Eaton Houses” in the area are so named having been built by Benjamin Eaton as tenant homes for the many quarter sections he purchased as a means to develop an irrigation system which brought water from the mountains to the plain---turning and arid prairie into productive farm land. He also became the 4th Governor of Colorado, serving from 1895-1897, and was nicknamed “The Farmer Governor”).
Claus and his son, Bruce farmed the place together until Claus passed away in March of 1943. Bruce and his wife, Samantha “Sammie” then moved to the farm and raised their family (Marvin, Kathy, Barry and Neal) in the same “Eaton House”. Following the death of Bruce’s mother, Hilda, in February of 1954, Bruce purchased the farm form his siblings in October of that year. After Sammie passed away in 1976, Bruce, Barry and Neal began operating as a Sub-S Corporation, Bruce A. Johnson & Sons, Inc. When the farm business suffered the devastating losses of the 80s “Farm Crisis”---a crisis that took down many farms, Barry and Paula made the decision to stay and take on the challenge of keeping the farm in the family. They and their two young boys, Darrick and Aaron, moved into the farmhouse with “Grandpa Bruce” in 1984. Barry and Paula continue to live in the house today. Following the death of Bruce in 1990, they began operating as BA Johnson & Sons, Inc.
This good ground has produce well, providing varied commodities over the years: sheep, cattle, milk from milk cows, hogs, chickens, eggs, ducks, geese, alfalfa, barley, oats, wheat, pinto beans, green beans, potatoes, onions, cabbage and always sugar beets and corn. There were also many good liters of cats and dogs that have kept the farm vermin-free, well-guarded and happy.