Abstract
The Josephine A. Johnson Diaries (approximately 1940-1978) consist of the personal diaries of Josephine Johnson, a homemaker who moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1952. Included in the daily handwritten entries are prices of goods and services, shops and businesses frequented by the family, anecdotes about the weather, and some receipts, notes, and ephemera kept inside the diaries. Also included are two Bibles and a small personal phonebook.
Finding Aid PDF
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Scope and Contents Note
The Josephine A. Johnson Diaries (approximately 1940-1978) consist of the personal diaries of Josephine Johnson, a homemaker who moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1952. Included in the daily handwritten entries are prices of goods and services, shops and businesses frequented by the family, anecdotes about the weather, and some receipts, notes, and ephemera kept inside the diaries. Also included are two Bibles and a small personal phonebook.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. The donor, Chip Johnson, transferred all right, title and interest they had in the Josephine A. Johnson Diaries (MS-01208) to UNLV. However, some material may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by UNLV. Users are responsible for determining whether permissions are necessary from rights owners for any intended use and for obtaining all required permissions. Acknowledgement of the UNLV University Libraries is requested. For more information, please see the UNLV Special Collections policies on reproductions and use or contact us at special.collections@unlv.edu.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged chronologically.
Biographical / Historical Note
Josephine Allen was born September 22, 1891 in Carthage, Mississippi to Nathaniel Allen and Hattie Howell Allen. Josephine married Barney Madison Johnson on September 11, 1912 in Scott County, Mississippi and together they had four children: Mary, Barney Jr., Cliffton, and Francis. The family lived in various locations, including Mississippi and Arizona, where Barney Sr. was killed in an accident in 1942. After the death of her husband, Josephine spent a brief period in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Phoenix, Arizona, after which she moved with her son Barney, Jr. and his children, Barney Sonny Johnson, and Dee “Chipper” Boy Johnson to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1952. While in Las Vegas, Nevada, Allen spent her life as a busy homemaker taking care of her home, son, and grandchildren as well as being an active member and officer of various organizations including the First Baptist Church, Eastern Star, and White Shrine. Her years in Las Vegas were spent raising her grandsons, as they matriculated through the Clark County School District. Barney attended Clark County Community College and the University of Las Vegas, Nevada and later worked in the gaming industry. Chipper graduated from UNLV in 1971, remaining active in the University, serving on several boards, and, as of 2025, is a Trustee Emeritus.
Source:
Biographical note from donor (Allen's grandson, Chip Johnson). See internal source file for additional details.
Preferred Citation
Josephine A. Johnson Diaries, approximately 1940-1978. MS-01208. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 2025 by Chip Johnson; accession number 2025-032.
Processing Note
In 2025, Landon Paljusaj accessioned the collection and Sarah Jones rehoused material and wrote the finding aid in ArchivesSpace.
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Appraisal Note
Acquired by Visual Materials Curator, Aaron Mayes, as part of UNLV Special Collections and Archives holdings in Las Vegas history. All material that formed the original gift has been retained.