In his book, Farris suggests that a new pastor do a few things to get to know the community one is entering. He suggests that understanding the town's dynamics will help one understand the people. Farris outlines five areas one should investigate: area geography, town geography, town history, town culture, and town values. Farris also suggests why these things are important. I would like to consider each area independently by outlining the things I noticed during my short stay in Johnson and by asking any remaining questions I have.
Area Geography: Several of the books we read cite R. Alex Sim who, in his book, Land and Community, outlined four types of small towns: Ribbonvilles, Agravilles, Mighthavebeenvilles, and Fairviews. The names say a lot about them. After visiting Johnson, I think Johnson is a Mighthavebeenville. Truly, it is a great place, but if Johnson's residents need to do
shopping or be entertained, they drive 15 minutes to nearby Auburn, which is an Agraville. Farris suggests that Mighthavebeenvilles are controlled by and dependent on the nearby Agraville, as seems to be the case in Johnson.The area about Johnson is hilly (here is Johnson, its location in Nebraska, and its relief). From a high hill, one can see neighbors in all directions. Sometimes tall trees get in the way. Many houses use evergreen trees on the north and west sides to help protect them from the wind in winter. Most of the surrounding area is farmland. The people here seem very close-knit. My host mother could point out each house and tell me volumes about who lived there. I think the fact that they can see one another so easily leads to this open feeling.
Some remaining questions: What is the year-round weather like? How does that effect this area? What does the area look like at other times of the year? How does that effect people?
Town Geography: Johnson has
a main street. On main street, there is a small grocery store, a gas station called "The Quick Stop" (though that name does not appear on the building), the fire station, the grain elevator (where the picture at left is taken), the meat processing plant (Wednesday is slaughtering day), the cafe, the tavern, the bank, the small funeral home, the insurance company, and the school. St. Matthew and the local Methodist church are two blocks west of the main drag. There is also a baseball diamond on the west side of town. One can see the remains of a lumber yard. Some of the business are boarded up.The sidewalks roll up early in town, probably around dark. They cafe is open for lunch after church on Sunday. It has a buffet. There are no francaise stores. Other than the Cafe and the White Horse (the bar) there are no other restaurants. The signs pointing to the town talk about the famous chicken barbecue
Remaining questions: What was this town like in its heyday? What were the businesses that are now closed? What is the town like during the chicken barbecue? Who comes?
Town History: I was unable to glean much about the town's history. It seems to be very involved in agriculture. I did glean some recent history. For example, across the street from St. Matthew is a Habitat for Humanity House. Unfortunately, the family had some troubles, so the status of the home is unclear. The meat processing store used to be owned by Augie and Lois, the family Peter stayed with.
Remaining questions: What is the town's history? What were have been Johnson's defining moments? When did businesses start to close? Have the businesses there always been the same? What about the churches? When did they come in? Who founded them?
Town Culture: Farris outlines six things to consider about an area's culture: economy, politics, social life, education, and cycle of events. Johnson's economy is agricultural. The grain elevator seems to the hub of what's going on in town. According to the US Census Bureau, the two other major employers of people living in Johnson are education and "Transportation, warehousing, and Utilities." I was not able to tell much about the political situation in Johnson. I think it is worth noting that the rescue squad and fire department consists entirely of civilian volunteers. The social fabric of Johnson is complex. Of course, there is the chicken barbecue. There also are people who are regulars in the cafe and the White Horse. Education is extremely important in Johnson. The students had access to laptops. The teachers were very dedicated. Nebraska has open enrollment. Students DO come from other districts to Johnson. The offer a very quality education in their K-12 school. Finally, the cycle of events. The chicken barbecue is part of the cycle. Being an agriculture society, planting, harvest, and calving all, inevitably have to do with this cycle.
Remaining questions: What is the political situation in Johnson? What trend is being seen in the local economy? Why is education so important in this community? What are other important events in the town's year?
Town values: Farris, again, suggests four key values: community, longevity, place, and forbearance. Community was key in Johnson. One night the ladies of our group got together at my host mother's house to watch a chick flick. Marianna and I offered to take Joy home. On the way, we got lost. We couldn't find Joy's hosts' house. It became the talk of the day the next day because Marianna should have known where Mary (Joy's host mother) lived. Being a longstanding member of this community means being aware of where others live and what is going on in their lives. For example, one couple clips the crosswords from the newspaper for Marianna. If she's not there one week, it is assumed that she is with her daughters in Kansas (she normally lets Pr. Catherine know where she's going). If she were gone for more than a week, they would get concerned. That is very important to this community. Longevity is also important. Much of this is displayed in how things are described. Instead of being "the white house with green shutters" it is "So-and-so's Old House." So-and-so might have lived in the house three owners before, but that doesn't stop the locals from using their names to describe the landmark. Another example is the importance of the cemetery fund. Many of the pastors we spoke with told us of the untouchable, massive cemetery fund, used to care for a church's cemetery even after the church was gone - how's that for longevity? The idea of place as a value has something to do with being good stewards of the earth. It also has something to do with maintaining the town's existence. Johnson might be a good example of this because, despite of growing town nearby, the residents still exercise loyalty to their local businesses. They know the potential collapse that may result if they search outside of Johnson for things. They understand the consequences of their actions. Forbearance. I could go on and on about this topic. The loyalty I talked about above is one example of the community's forbearance. Another example might be the Habitat House. Or, the involvement of all the churches in Lutheran World Relief quilting projects. Or, the presence of community members at basketball games. And surely, the untold stories of generosity towards others.
Remaining questions: What would a resident list as Johnson's key values? What might they add to my list?
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