Johnson City

Johnson City was never on my travel list until I married Rick. He grew up there, and I wanted to meet his family. It was the first stop on our nostalgia trip where we wanted to share our childhoods. 

Most important, I wanted to meet his mother in person. Until then we had just chatted on the phone. I never wanted to cut into her time with her son to prolong the conversations. Now I feel, I have a relationship with her in our own right.

The city isn't really a city. It is a town with about 15,500 people.

Once the Endicott Johnson shoe factory was the main employer.


Rick told me many of the homes had been built for the employees who paid for them through payroll deductions. The factory owner Johnson (his house was the white column structure. 

He built homes for his employees and let them pay for them out of their salaries. These were purchases not rentals. He might waive the payments temporarily if a family was having financial difficulties. No wonder so many things are named for him. Sometimes his full name isn't used. Harry L. is enough.

Delving into local history always fascinates me.

And there are the personal histories.

Rick worked at Lupo's, but I suspect profits went up after he returned to school in the fall considering how much of the product he claims to have eaten.

Lupos make Spiedies, only served in the Binghamton, NY, and brought to the US by the Italian immigrants who worked at the Endicott-Johnson shoe factory.

The traditional method involves serving freshly prepared cubes of lamb, chicken, or beef on soft Italian bread, and occasionally drizzled with fresh marinade.Of course we had to have one. Rick was right. They are delicious.

IBM was a later major employer and also followed the Johnson benevolent boss model. IBM has only minimal staff compared to the past. It was at the IBM golf course where Rick spent much of his free time and became passionate about the sport. We strolled through the woods next to the course.

At the same time Rick's family shared their family's history. I understand now why he is the good man he is.

I'm sorry that distance does not permit drop in for coffee and conversation on a regular basis.  

Maybe Skype will balance the miles in the future.