The long series of Greene District schools is winding down and it is hoped that all who read these articles have not become bored reading about a township that had a multiple of school districts. The location of the Johnson’s Corners bringing the location from the 1875 Atlas map of Chenango County to the twenty-first century was located approximately at the corner of Shafer and Wylie Roads near the location of Thunder Lake (2001 Chenango County Map). This lake does not appear on the 1875 map however, landowners in that vicinity at that time abound with the name of Johnson. As is the case previously and is still the scenario, roads were and are named for landowners in the vicinity. However over the course of years many of the road names have been changed which results in difficulty for historians and all researchers to trace land sites, etc.

JOHNSON’S CORNERS

Johnson’s Corners as is noted in the accompanying photo had the misfortune to burn in 1968, another loss to fire of an early segment of history of this county. This schools life started in 1856 and would be active until 1944 when it is assumed lack of families in the area, difficulty in obtaining teachers and the centralization of school districts throughout the county and state.

In Smith’s History of Chenango County is written that the county had a onetime approximately 315 district schools. In this twenty-first century I have been informed that Chenango County has only 9 districts. This is quite different from the previous figure!

The boundary lines of the district are related as researched by Mrs. Folsom: 1866 - would see District #1 (Brown District) in the south part of the county become #24. 1877 - A change is documented new district #24 formed from #9 (Coventry) and #24 (Greene). 1885 - The farm of Charles G. Winston would be moved from #24 (Johnson’s Corners) and attached to #20 (Wilson-Gardner) with the following: Lot 23-30 acres: south by Olin Kelly, east by Mrs. Jeremiah Winston, north by Charles Page and west by the road.

We are in luck with this district as in the Deed Book #161/9 in 1877 Jesse and Louisa Johnson sold to John Burton Wiley, Charles C. Haynes and John Beale as Trustee’s for District #24 for $28 the land as follows: Beginning 4 rods from east line of west half of lot 9/AII lot A in center of Chenango Road, west 8 rods, north parallel with Greene/Colesville Road (now Wylie) 8 rods, east to Colesville Road, south 8 rods to point of beginning a total of 64 rods. To all who prefer to research these deeds, to say that they are interesting is to say the least.