64 Years Ago
Earle A. Johnson Elementary School was dedicated on November 10, 1960.
By the late 1950s, Golden’s centrally-located school, Mitchell Elementary, was overcrowded. Much of Golden’s growth was happening on the south end of town, so the R1 school district looked for land south of downtown. They found it when the state agreed to sell off parts of the State Industrial School property.
Earle Johnson was a long-time music teacher in Golden’s schools. When he began teaching in 1899, he rode a circuit between Englewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, and Golden schools. In 1930 (31 years into his teaching career!), he accepted full-time employment in Golden. He taught here until retiring in 1954 and was 87 when he died in 1966.
Many residents may not remember Earle Johnson Elementary, as it closed and was replaced by Shelton Elementary in 1994. The Earle Johnson campus is now used as Connections Learning Center (map).
Thank you to Wendy Weiman for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of November.
