Real estate appraisal card. 437 E. 2nd Street, lots 3-4, block 28, in Salida, Colorado.
This house was built between 1888 and 1895. The 1903-4 city directory listed Mrs. Elizabeth Bly living here with her daughter, Jeanette M. Bly, who worked as a clerk for the Salida Record, and her son Theron. Mrs. Bly may have been the original owner of the house. Robert C. Hall was a roomer here in 1903-04 and worked as a printer at the Salida Mail. Elizabeth Bly was born in New York in 1857; both of her parents were from Scotland. She moved to Salida in 1884 from Bennington, Vermont. By 1905-06, Elizabeth Bly had married prominent Salida citizen Oscar Ludwig "Lud" Johnson, and he moved into this house from his house next door at 444 E. 2nd Street. This was Elizabeth's second marriage. Oscar Johnson was born in 1855 in Sweden, and came to this country in 1882. He was a naturalized citizen by 1910. He was a highly skilled machinist for the railroad for many years after arriving in Salida. He then became an owner of Churcher & Johnson, a furniture store he operated with Frank B. Churcher.
When Mr. Churcher died in 1918, Oscar retired. Elizabeth Bly Johnson died in the house in 1941. The newspaper noted that she had lived here for over fifty years. She had been very active in the Tuesday Evening Club and the Rebekah lodge. Oscar Johnson conducted an extended eastern tour following his wife's death and then decided to live at the Odd Fellows Home in Canon City, beginning in 1941. He passed away in Canon City in 1945 at the age of 90.
By 1951, Leonard Lawrence and Hazel Konzen occupied this home. Leonard (b.1880) worked as the manager of the Elks Club from 1948 until 1958, the year that he retired. He had been an Elks member since 1903. He was born in 1880 in Napoleon, Ohio. Hazel was born in 1887 in Scuylar, Nebraska, but came to Salida at an early age with her parents, John and Minnie Woods. During her life she was affiliated with several social clubs. The Konzens lived in this house through at least 1965. Mrs. Konzen died in November 1971 in a Canon City nursing home. Mr. Konzen died at Columbine Manor in February 1978.
History Colorado's Architectural Inventory Forms have more information and are available at the Salida Library.
