By Sherry Johnson | You may wonder why the City of Norcross began celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks on the third of July. It goes back to one of the older institutions in the city, that of Johnson’s Store.
Sherry Johnson
What is now Zapatas was originally Johnson’s Store, opened in 1885 by my husband Carl’s great-great grandfather, and carried on for four generations. In 1989, Carl quit his Kroger Pharmacy position and I quit my teaching position at Norcross High to open Johnson’s Store-Pharmacy, Fountain, Fellowship, at the city’s request, since downtown Norcross was dying out.
A few businessmen threw around ideas to bring people to the downtown area. It was solely Carl’s idea to start July 4 celebration here on the third of July, because of Lenox Square’s celebration on the fourth.
Carl and one other person ran with the plan on the 3rd and it was pulled off even without the city’s blessing. The city pretty much fought and fined us at every turn. After a few years, the city saw how well attended it was and took it over with a much larger budget.
Then later when Carl saw a KKK meeting in the Thrasher Park, his heart was so saddened. That’s how the Passion Play in the streets of Norcross was started and continued for eight years. The idea was to bring the black and white communities together. Many churches, black and white, in the area were involved.
Later on when Carl saw “men in suits” standing on the railroad tracks in downtown Norcross, he went to talk to them. He learned that were the Secret Service front men, and after speaking with Carl the first President Bush made Norcross one of his campaign stops and used Johnson’s Store as the “command center.” Thousands of people attended this events in “little Norcross.”
Carl’s daddy grew up in the “big house” on Barton Street and spent his whole life at Johnson’s Store. All fifth graders in the surrounding area would have a field trip to the store and hear Carl’s father speak on the history of Norcross. Johnson’s Store was the oldest continually run business in Gwinnett County. At his funeral, many in the community told us of how he had helped them in numerous ways. Yeah, I am biased, but you would never know how much the several Johnson men were a part of Norcross history.
Follow Us