Moving to Tennessee In a Star Car

Jimmie and Monroe, who had lived at 316 B Street in Huntsville, bought their Rose Hill farm in 1929. His aunt, Ethel Williams Booker, his mother Leoma's sister, lived there. J.F. Rosson drove down from Campbellsville to Huntsville to move the family, which at that time included Helen, Ben, Dorothy, Mildred and Brooks. Edward and Wilba Lee were later. The Johnsons followed Rosson's truck 75 miles over horriffic roads in a open four-door 1926 Star Car. It was about the third car on Rose Hill. Monroe was a mechanic, so the family always had some sort of car. However, their old two-story Victorian era house did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. Water came from a well. Monroe wanted to modernize it to the more popular bungalow style, so he hired the Helton brothers, neighbors, to make the changes. Later Monroe erected a windmill and generated electricity years before anyone else on the hill had power. When the Star Car was no longer usable for transportation, Monroe rigged up the motor to pull a small grist mill, thus becoming the miller on Rose Hill.

Huntsville Streetcar & Gattis House

Ben Johnson (1922-2003), the oldest son of Monroe and Jimmie, said that their Granny Gattis lived about five blocks from their house in Huntsville, Ala. He said the old streetcar line ended there, and he remembered the conductor getting out, taking a line that hung down for the electric arm that he would swing around to the other end of the car and hook it on an overhead line that made the electric motor run, powering the car. "They were very slow," Uncle Ben said, "but believe it or not, people got run over by them."

Monroe Johnson's Tractor

Edward Johnson
(b. 8/18/30)
Mildred Johnson Owens
(b. 7/15/24)
and Jimmie Gattis Johnson
11/24/1900

Monroe built a tractor from an old A-model Ford truck,

Frank & Mandy Gattis

Frank and Mandy Gattis

Johnson Children

Thelma Eudora Johnson (Oct. 8, 1903-died ca. 197??), Elizabeth Dee Johnson (March 13, 1906-Nov. 21, 1946), Benjamin Monroe Johnson (July 17, 1899-July 14, 1973).

Two sisters, Lue Willie (Sept. 12, 1901-Jan. 30, 1902), Ada Burnes (Dec.11, 1908-April 12, 1912), died in childhood.

The Gattis Family

Franklin Alexander Gattis
March 9, 1871-Nov.9.1926
Married
Sarah Amanda Frames
Aug. 12, 1871-Jan. 19, 1950

She had been married before and her husband, who was a Woodard, died. She had two daughters by that husband, Ella (m. Bean) & Myrtle (m. Painter).

Back: Sarah Amanda Frames, Franklin Alexander Gattis, Myrtle Woodard Painter, Ella Woodard, Emma Gattis Gibson Lema Gattis Ransom
Front: Jimmie Gattis Johnson, Flossie Gattis Fann, Floyd Painter, Rufus Gattis, Lem Gattis

I question the dates on the tombstones because they do not match with any of these appearances in the census, including the several times both Mandy and Frank say they were born in 1875 or the calculations for Frank's age at death.

Benjamin Monroe Johnson

Benjamin Monroe Johnson, July 1899 -July 1973
born Huntsville, Ala.; died Rose Hill, Tenn.

Frank Gattis Obit

Merrimack Mill and Village 1900-1992

Merrimack Mill and Village 1900-1992

In 1899 construction started on Merrimack Mill and village. The mill began operation in 1900. A second mill building, added in 1903, made it one of the largest in the South. Under Joseph J. Bradley, Sr., managing agent (1905-1922), the village grew to 279 houses, a hospital, school, company store and other small businesses. In 1920 the steam-operated mills converted to electricity. Lowenstein fabrics bought the mill (1946), changed its name to Huntsville Mfg. Co., and the village became Huntsville Park. The mill continued to operate until 1989 and in 1992, Huntsville's last operating textile mill was torn down. This is where the Gattis and Johnson families worked.

Benjamin & Jimmie Johnson

This was taken at the 50th anniversary party for B.M. & Jimmie G. Johnson who were married in Fayetteville, Tenn., on May 2, 1916. Pictures are Helen Kilgo, Brooks Johnson, Dorothy Myers, Monroe&Jimmie, Edward, Mildred, Wilba Lee & Ben.