A retired Hope Elementary teacher will be honored next month by the Indiana Historical Society.
Barb Johnson will be one of two recipients of the 2018 Hubert Hawkins Local History Award, recognized for impacting a generation with her passion for history.
Johnson spearheaded a three-year project to move the one-room Simmons School in 1992 from its former rural location to a spot behind Hope Elementary, where it currently serves as a field-trip destination for students throughout Indiana.
As part of that project, Johnson took on responsibilities such as organizing a curriculum, creating a teacher’s manual and soliciting donations of period furniture. She also played the role of school marm during presentations for many years.
More than 50,000 students have taken field trips to the one-room schoolhouse, said Janice Montgomery, a retired Columbus educator and the current Simmons school marm.
“Barb was superb in providing support, training, encouragement and lots of humor,” Montgomery said.
In addition, Johnson sponsored both the Hope Elementary Little Hoosiers and the Hauser Junior-Senior High Historians clubs when she was a teacher.
“I would have never been considered for the award had it not been for my children and others. I got involved with the history clubs they were in and they were my lead-in,” Johnson said. “It’s one of those things that came together.”
A number of her former students retained their love of history as adults, and became active with the annual Hope Heritage Days or with Hope’s Yellow Trail Museum.
“Barb spent much of her life increasing interest and participation in local history,” retired Columbus educator Candace Taff Carr said in a nomination letter.
In leadership roles for 38 years at Hope’s Yellow Trail Museum, Johnson was recuperating from back surgery this year when the museum sponsored Hope’s Old-Fashioned Independence Day celebration.
“Barb did so much we knew nothing about — and always made it look so easy,” Yellow Trail board member Cathie Clouse said.
She will be honored during the Indiana Historical Society’s Nov. 5 Founders Day dinner, held each year to celebrate the accomplishments of historians, teachers, writers and businesses from around the sate, as well as the work of the historical society.
The other honoree will be Elizabeth Mitchell of Bloomington, who has worked to preserve and share African-American history for more than 40 years.
Both women will receive their awards during the society’s annual Founders Day dinner, held Nov. 5 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
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Residence: Lives in Hope.
Education: Hauser High School, 1966. Degree in elementary education from Ball State University, 1970.
Career: Hope Elementary teacher, 1972-2003. Spearheaded relocation of historic one-room Simmons School to Hope.
Honors:
- Sagamore of the Wabash award from former Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh, 1992
- Edna Folger Outstanding Teacher Award from the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, 1995
- Heritage Days Parade grand marshal, 2011.
- Republic Woman of the Year, 2016
- Flatrock Hawcreek School Corp. Teacher of the Year, twice.
Family: Husband Ed; four adult children, Allison, Amy, Bill and Gary. Sisters Linda Thayer Herron and Susan Thayer Fye.
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