WARE COUNTY GA Bios Erin W. Johnson File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Barbara Winge barbarawinge@yahoo.com http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/ware/bios/johnson2.txt FLORIDA TIMES UNION Jacksonville, Florida Waycross' Manager Stands High in Office Story and Photo BY JIM HILLIARD, Times Union Staff Writer (Date Missing) WAYCROSS, Ga. - Had it not been for the economic depress of the 1930s, Erin W. Johnson might be a prosperous businessman today rather than holding the posiion of Waycross City, Manager. But the depression did occur and it forced him to give up his drugstore and hardware business and accept a job as a deputy United States marshal. Since taking the job, almost 40 years ago, Johnson has succeeded in establishing a reputation as a public servant that has been recognized nationally. "His progressive efforts and accomplishments in behalf of the City of Waycross and Ware County are exemplified with brick, mortar, and asphalt," a resident of the community said of Johnson. A FORMER CITY commissioner described Johnson as a man who has "never cost the city a nickel," meanng that the city manager has succeeded in acquiring more state and federal funds for city projects than has been collected in local taxes for operation of the city government. Johnson didn't start out in life to be a public servant. He was born and reared in Bacon County where he attended public schools. In 1929 he and his brother moved to Waycross where they opened a drugstore which became a success for them right away. Later they expanded and opened a hardware that also proved a success. The productive business dealings of the two were short-lived, however. The depression crippled the economy and, according to Johnson, "there was no money available to buy things with." The brothers were forced to close both businesses. JOHNSON SAID he was "fortunate" in that he was appointed to the deputy marshal job since it did afford an adequate income and provided with an opportunity to meet many persons who later became not only political friends but personal ones as well. After the depression, Johnson resigned his post to seek election as sheriff of Ware County, but was defeated. He re-entered the drugstore business until a second attempt to be elected sheriff was successful in 1945. Later he was elected clerk of Ware Superior Court and served on the Ware County Commission until leaving the county government for the position of Waycross City Manager in 1964. SOME OF HIS accomplishments while serving in a county office included acquisition of funds to build a new $1.5 million hospital, a new $1 million courthouse and jail, and paving nearly 70 miles of county roads. He also served on committees which were successful in getting several industries to relocate in Ware County, some of which have expanded into major employers of the community. Since Johnson has taken over as city manager, Waycross has been cited by some state officials as one of the most progressive cities in South Georgia. They attribute much of the progress of the city manager's ability to lure state and federal projects to Waycross. In all more than 30 miles of city streets have been paved with funds he has obtained from the state. The federal government has funnelled more than $4.6 million into the Waycross urban renewal project and more is anticipated for the new Community Development Project already underway in the Tebeau section of the city. Johnson's personal friendship with the late Sen. Richard B. Russell and other political figures in state and federal governments, is said to be the primary reason Waycrossans can expect to be breaking ground in the near future for a new $4 million-plus federal building and postal service complex. The city police will soon be moving into a new $350,000 Regional Jail-Waycross Police Barracks constructed through the efforts of many local persons including Johnson who convinced the city commission to approve matching funds for the facility. There are numberous other accomplishments which were conceived and eventually completed are underway because of the efforts of the city manager. Some of them are: An $850,000 overpass for an area of the city cut off from emergency service during periods when rail traffic blocked street crossings. Funding of a $300,000-plus project to improve the old but heavily used Ava Street underpass. He was instrumental in getting the state to locate a Highway Department office here. He said his biggerst concern today is that the people have lost confidence in the country and it's government but that he feels people in government have realized this and will implement programs to regain the confidence of taxpayers. (Submitted by Barbara Walker Winge, barbarawinge@yahoo.com) ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============