282:'s School of Forestry in 1934, Johnson returned to Central Oregon to act as his father's agent, buying and selling timber and land. During that time, Johnson lived in the old Sisters Hotel. In 1935, his father sold the 160 acres (0.65 km) that included the Metolius headwaters to him for one dollar. In the early 1930s, the Johnsons opened a saw mill in Sisters in partnership with Bert Peterson, the first of six Central Oregon mills the Johnson family owned over the years.
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423:. The headwaters are just north of Black Butte, and are unusual because the Metolius River emerges from an underground volcanic lava tubes as a full flowing river. For many years, the Johnsons allowed public access to the scenic headwaters viewing area. The Johnsons gave the Metolius Springs viewing site to the United States Forest Service in 1965. Today, the area is managed as a Forest Service park.
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He and his wife, Becky, established the Samuel S. Johnson
Foundation in 1948. Over the years, the Johnson charitable foundation funded numerous projects that fostered respect for nature, history and education. After Sam Johnson's death, his wife continued as the president of the foundation until
328:. The mill had direct access to the railroad so the operation could be greatly expanded. In 1948, Johnson bought his father's Oregon timber holdings and mills, and opened his own office in Sisters. Johnson was successful at negotiating timber sale contracts with the
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for $ 1.34 million and provided additional plywood and veneer-making equipment to help the tribe establish Warm
Springs Forest Products Industries. This new tribal business improved the economic conditions on the Warm Springs Reservation.
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In 1965, Johnson was elected to a seat in the Oregon House of
Representatives, and was re-elected six more times, serving continuously through the 1977 legislative session. He represented
368:, he was also a well known champion of progressive government and a mentor to legislators of both parties. He retired from the legislature undefeated in 1978, and ran for
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units in the
Pacific. While serving in Portland, Captain Johnson met his future wife Elizabeth (known as Becky). She was a Navy recruiter for the
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495:(transcribed from tape by Maret Pajutee), Sisters Watershed History Fest, Sisters Country Historical Society, 2006.
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215:(September 1, 1911 – June 20, 1984) was an American businessman, legislator, and philanthropist in the state of
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Perhaps Sam
Johnson's greatest legacy was preserving the headwaters of the Metolius River, also known as
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her death in
January 2007. Among the many institutions that have benefited from the foundation are the
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counties from 1965 to 1972, and after re-districting in 1973, he represented
Deschutes and
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Nkrumah, Wade (January 3, 2007). "Elizabeth
Johnson, foundation president, dies".
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In 1967, Johnson sold his
Jefferson Plywood Company mill at Warm Springs to the
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Stern, Henry (January 20, 2005). "Scappoose legislator fills Senate seat".
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and began acquiring timber land in the area. His father bought what is now
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Mt
Jefferson and the Metolius River from the Metolius Springs viewing area
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544:, Chronicle, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon, Summer 2007.
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Church, Foster (June 21, 1984). "Former legislative leader dies".
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Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives
219:. He owned saw mills and large tracts of timber land near the
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557:, The Oregon History project, Oregon Historical Society, 2003.
567:"Oregon Legislative Assembly Legislators and Staff 1841-2005"
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255:. He was named after his grandfather, a sawmill owner from
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582:"Showcasing the Faces of Oregon Leadership – Sam Johnson"
259:. His father, Samuel Orie Johnson was a timber broker in
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After the war, the Johnsons opened a new saw mill in
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431:The Johnsons had two daughters, Betsy and Patti.
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285:During World War II, Johnson served in the
275:and the headwaters of the Metolius River.
251:Johnson was born on September 1, 1911, in
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231:. He served seven terms in the
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183:Elizabeth ("Becky") Johnson
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202:Plywood manufacturer
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158:(1984-06-20)
120:Succeeded by
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66:Succeeded by
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655:1984 deaths
650:1911 births
320:Businessman
225:Black Butte
125:Chris Himes
25:Sam Johnson
644:Categories
447:References
366:Republican
261:California
247:Early life
199:Profession
174:Republican
71:Tom Throop
358:Jefferson
354:Deschutes
257:Minnesota
110:In office
100:Mayor of
89:Jefferson
85:Deschutes
60:1965–1978
56:In office
634:, p. B8.
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585:Archived
538:Archived
489:Archived
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439:and the
427:Personal
188:Children
374:Redmond
362:Klamath
93:Klamath
412:, and
408:, the
380:Legacy
306:Seabee
227:, and
217:Oregon
180:Spouse
165:, U.S.
148:, U.S.
87:, and
370:mayor
350:Crook
314:WAVES
237:mayor
81:Crook
356:and
303:Navy
299:Army
153:Died
140:Born
372:of
297:to
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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