We are Hope: Barb Johnson

Editor's Note: We are Hope is a new series profiling interesting people in the town of Hope and northeastern Bartholomew County. If you have a suggestion for a person to be profiled in "We are Hope," you can e-mail [email protected]

Hope native Barb Johnson has made a great impact in the Hope community throughout her 71 years, including as a beloved educator at Hope Elementary School, as well as a prominent figure with the Yellow Trail Museum. She recently reflected on her time in Hope, her more than 30-year teaching career, as well as the changes she’s seen over the years and what she believes makes Hope a gem in the heart of southern Indiana.

As you look back on your time at Hope Elementary since retiring in 2003, what would you say you enjoyed most about teaching?
I think the most enjoyable thing was watching the kids catch on to learning. Sometimes when kids come to school they think they don’t want to learn. It’s an approach and if you get them at the right angle they are going to love what you are doing and that was always rewarding for me to see kids really enjoy picking up new information.

What are some of the major changes you’ve seen in Hope over the years?
Hope doesn’t change a whole lot. There aren’t nearly as many businesses that would keep people shopping in the town of Hope as used to be when I was young. Back then, you only went to Columbus to shop for important things and everything else you got locally. I think one of the biggest factors of change in the business community was losing Clouse’s grocery store and the meat locker/slaughterhouse, which were both located on the square between where WILLow LeaVes and Swiss Maid are now. I think that took some people who used to come to Hope elsewhere. Other than that, Hope is still one of those places where kids are safe to be outside without having an adult standing right beside them. People still watch out for other young people whether they belong to them or not. It is just still a relaxed atmosphere here for most things as compared to bigger towns. You don’t feel like there is danger around every corner and that is the way it has been forever. I think a lot of things have stayed consistent and that’s what makes living in a small town great.

What is your fondest memory of Hope?
Probably the friendships I’ve made and the fact that the community comes and works together on anything they see as important.

When did your time with the Yellow Trail Museum begin? And what have you enjoyed most about your involvement?
I’ve been with the Yellow Trail since 1984. Most of the time I was there, there was no manager or paid position whatsoever. It was all voluntary. We had a board, it sorted out the jobs and people did what they had the time and energy to do. Everyone picked up pieces and somehow we made it work. I think probably the thing that has impressed me most is when we started picking up events to get the community involved in things. It was more of an, “ok we are all going to work together and somehow this is going to happen” and the community bought into it and seems to still love the events.

What are your hopes for the Yellow Trail Museum going forward?
I hope it continues to grow and prosper as it does now and that we can keep a good, strong board going that will make improvements and what changes are necessary. And to keep the museum something that future generations will want to use.

What is it about Hope that inspires you?
Probably the fact that people seem to appreciate the work you do, as well as the community’s appreciation overall as much as anything.

What are your hopes for the town of Hope in the future?
I hope we continue to be the type of community we are now. I don’t think we want to change the perspective of the small, comfortable town it is. I hope the number of area businesses increase. I think one of our major goals is we need to keep our own school system. There have been many times consolidation has been discussed, but I really feel like you put kids in a small school system and they become leaders.

If there was one thing you could tell HSJ Online readers about Hope, what would it be?
Hope is a community that is very proud of its heritage. It is a community that is proud of the town it is now and that pride is what helps us keep the community where people want to be.