I will be converting an old homesteader’s house into a temporary studio. The house originally belonged to a man named Billy Johnson. He immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1909. It took Billy five years to prove up on his homestead. Billy and his brother Axel eventually built the house I am converting into a studio. Billy also dug a well and built his sheds and raised sheep. He mortgaged his farm many times and took various jobs to make ends meet. He took a few jobs doing carpentry and he hauled gravel in his truck for the gym in Judith Gap. Billy always managed to pay off the mortgage. He never married. In the spring of 1960 he sold his ranch to Henry Lode, my grandfather.
In 1978 my parents moved their trailer house from Colorado and placed it on Billy’s old homestead. The photo above shows my parents’ trailer and the original buildings that Billy built. Billy’s house is circled in the photo.
This is what the place looks like today from the same view-point again Billy’s house is circled in red. My parents worked hard through the years raising livestock adding to the homestead and raising a family.
The Current Condition of Billy’s House
Billy’s House has been used for storage from the time my 
On the north side of the house the root cellar is collapsing in and there is a rotten beam. We will be replacing the beam eventually and the house will be moved from its current location. The four windows on the main part of the house will also need to be replaced.
There are two rooms in the main part. The east room is the largest. I have to remove some of the items that are being stored in it. The plaster is cracking on the walls and ceiling and there’s a place where the plaster has fallen off of the ceiling. I will be attempting to repair the plaster. I will also have to install a wood stove for heat.
