William Henry Johnson

In 1925, the year that William Henry Johnson was first elected as Mayor of North Adams, the City Hall occupied space roughly where the Burger King is located today. A man of frail health when he took office, the new mayor met with the public there on Saturday mornings and occasionally on weekday afternoons. For the most part, he transacted the city’s business from the office of the foundry that he owned.

Mayor Johnson was not a native of North Adams. Born in Copake, N.Y. in 1871 he received his early education there before apprenticing himself as a foundry man--a trade that he worked at throughout his early manhood. Later he moved to Lee where he pursued the trade until the age of 20 when he moved to North Adams to work at the James Hunter Machine Company.

Within a few years, Johnson and the late W. F. Corkum bought the foundry building on Houghton street from William Hodge. The two began a partnership that ended eight years later when Johnson purchased Corkum’s interest and continued the business under his own name. Within a short time, Johnson purchased the adjoining land and buildings north of the foundry as far as the corner of North Street--a few doors from his own home at Number 16 around the corner.

The sickness that began to plague him as a young man continued to the point where he was forced to give up the physically exhausting work in the foundry itself, leaving that aspect of the business to others. He continued the office work in the burgeoning enterprise. An astute business man, he began to acquire other properties throughout the city.

Early on, after settling in North Adams, the young businessman became a member in the fraternal societies which were numerous during that period of time of the ‘Twenties: the Elks, the Eagles and the Moose--in which he held offices. He went through the chairs at the Elks and in 1909 was elected Exalted Ruler, an office that he would attain again in 1925. In appreciation of his work, the Elks voted him a life membership.

Johnson’s activities in these clubs found fertile ground for him when he entered civic politics. He was persuaded to fill the vacancy on the city council in 1920 created by the death of Councilor Alton J. Hurd, proprietor of the jewelry store on Main Street. When this term expired, Johnson ran for the Council in 1921 and was elected with the endorsement of both the Republicans and Democrats. A Republican, he served three years.

In 1924, Johnson was persuaded by a powerful local group to run for Mayor against Edward S. Wilkinson who earlier in the century had been the city’s third mayor. Wilkinson’s political support was negligible and Johnson carried six of the seven wards with a plurality of 787 votes. In 1926 Johnson stood for re-election against Nelson S. McCraw, Republican, and Attorney Bernard J. Boland, Independent. His plurality over McGraw was 845 votes. In 1928, running against former representative James T. Welch and Dr. Wallace E. Brown, he rolled up a plurality of 1710 votes and the largest that he would ever attain as a mayoralty candidate. However, in 1930 his popularity with the voters was on the wane. He defeated John Morrissey by only 75 votes in retaining the office.

In 1932, popular druggist, Archie Pratt, a partner of Edward Rice at Rice’s Drug Store, opposed Mayor Johnson and gained one of the biggest upsets in the political history of the city by a plurality of 788 votes--setting off a boisterous celebration downtown on election night.

In 1934, at the end of a lackluster administration, Mayor Pratt found himself facing Johnson again and this time he wasn’t as lucky as Johnson defeated him and former assessor and funeral director, Walter F. Pringle, by a total of 1313 votes.

Johnson, seeking his seventh term, lost to Dr. Francis J. O’Hara in 1936, squeezed out by 67 votes. Again, in 1938, the two opposed each other and this time Mayor O’Hara raised the plurality by 1100 votes. Never again, with his health steadily declining, could he be induced to seek public office. People who had been steadfast in their support of Johnson, turned their backing to one of his most vocal critics, Faxon Bowen, in 1940.

Mayor Johnson had based his campaigns on a platform of rigid economy. Nevertheless, he managed to pave River Street, Hospital Avenue, portions of Eagle and Main Streets, West Main Street as far as Brown Street and part of Union Street on the approach to the Mohawk Trail. New resurfacing took place on Church and Franklin Streets and he reconstructed all of the city’s downtown bridges except Eagle Street’s. He extended sewer and water lines as well as sidewalks throughout the city.

Mayor Johnson was not without his critics. He had many. His choice of people for his cabinet came under fire. He was accused of corruption. When he finally left office--following his decision to give up politics--there was an almost complete turnover of officials at City Hall. Only Michael W. Conlon, Chief of Police and Fire Chief John E. Saulnier retained their jobs.

Death came to the 71-year old William Johnson on Wednesday afternoon, May 17, 1941 ending the protracted illness from which he suffered. His funeral was on the following Sunday afternoon in the St. John’s Episcopal Church with the Reverend William Crittenden officiating. Across the street the nation’s flag flew at half-mast on orders from Mayor Faxon Bowen; his friend, antagonist and political opponent.

Map Coordinates: 42.6731110, -73.1002157 Adapted from the original article for the North Adams Historical Society.