Merry-Go-Roundup is a magazine for members of the National Carousel Association, and I’m pleased to report they published an article I wrote in their Spring 2021 issue. The article is entitled “George F. Johnson’s Carousel Legacy.”
The article recounts the rise of George F. Johnson from shoemaker to co-owner of the Endicott-Johnson Company, and his generosity in donating six Allan Herschell wooden carousels to the communities in Broome County, New York. The first carousel was donated in 1920, so 2020 marked the centennial of his first carousel donation.
Click the link below to download my Merry-Go-Roundup article. Photographs of various carousel features are included with the article. A special thanks to the National Carousel Association for making the article available.
I read your article with such delight. The Merry Go Rounds must be great fun. Wish I could be in the area and “ride the circuit”. Was most impressed with how he treated his employees with 40 hour work week, housing and conveniences. Inspiring story.
Thank you, Anne. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I received my first fan email from someone who read the article and lives in the area. The carousels are a great legacy for a man who was ahead of his times in many ways.