Details
Title

Dale Johnson collection

Date

[1931-2007]

Call Number

719

Contents

2 boxes.

Description

Two boxes of documents and photographs related to the life and work of Dale Johnson. Materials include letters written by the young Dale Johnson; Johnson's book of memoirs Calculated Risks; Frostline Kits catalogs; an album of Frostline employee photos; and The History of Gear: Frostline of Colorado, a book by Bruce B. Johnson. Box 2 is oversize, and the collection also includes one oversize Frostline Kits "Get Your Kit Together" poster (located at call# 719-SC2-1).

History

Dale Lloyd Johnson was born in Rifle, Colorado, 18 April 1931. He came to Boulder in 1949 to attend University of Colorado. While in college, he pursued his interest in mountaineering, most notably climbing the Third Flatiron in roller skates and, along with a friend, painting the letter "C" on the Third Flatiron. He was co-owner and Vice President of Gerry Mountain Sports, Inc. from 1959-1964. In 1966, Johnson began his own business at home, which became Frostline Kits, a mountain-oriented outdoor sports equipment and clothing kit manufacturer and retailer. After more than a decade of successful operations and expansions, the business was sold to Gillette Corporation in 1978. Johnson spent the remainder of his career in investments and development. He was one of the first volunteer pilots for Lighthawk in 1986 and helped design a cataraft called Waterwolf with Joe Powell. Dale Johnson had one son, Brad, with his first wife, Julie Johnson and later was married to Frandee Johnson. He died on 23 February 2012.

Terms of Use

RIGHTS: Materials in this collection may be used freely for any purpose, with attribution to the Carnegie Library for Local History, Boulder. No duplicated materials may be deposited or placed on file in any other archive, museum, library or similar repository. Questions of copyright are the responsibility of the user.

Format

Photographs.
Documents.

Donor

Johnson, Frandee.

Subjects

Johnson, Dale L., 1931-2012

Collection

Dale Johnson collection

Acquisition Note

Materials donated by Frandee Johnson on behalf of Dale Johnson, 2018.

Dale Johnson photographs.
Dale Johnson photographs.
Call Number 719-1-1
Date [1932-1945]
Contents 10 photographs (3 digitized).
Description Photographs of Dale Johnson as a boy, circa 1932-1945.

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Dale Johnson with family photographs.
Dale Johnson with family photographs.
Call Number 719-1-2
Date 1931-[1946]
Contents 12 photographs, 10 views (1 digitized).
Description Photographs of Dale Johnson as a boy with close family members, including his mother, father and grandparents, ca. 1931-1946.

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Additional family snapshots.
Additional family snapshots.
Call Number 719-1-3
Date [1934-1945]
Contents 9 photographs, 8 views (1 digitized).
Description Additional views of young Dale Johnson with family and friends, circa 1934-1945.

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Climbing the Third Flatiron in roller skates, 1953.
Climbing the Third Flatiron in roller skates, 1953.
Call Number 719-1-4
Date 1953
Contents 3 photographs (2 digitized).
Description Three photographs of Dale Johnson and Phil Robertson climbing the Third Flatiron in roller skates, 1953.

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Childhood drawings by Dale Johnson.
Childhood drawings by Dale Johnson.
Call Number 719-1-5
Date [1938-1947]
Contents 8 documents.
Description 8 sheets of drawings by Dale Johnson as a child. Drawings include airplanes, weapons and mountain scenes.

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Dale Johnson, biographical information.
Dale Johnson, biographical information.
Call Number 719-1-6
Date [1956]-2016
Contents 6 documents.
Description Dale Johnson biographical documents, including a resume, biography outline, a memorial talk dated 14 April 2012 written by a family friend, Johnson's army service cards, and an infographic from Coloradan magazine from Spring 2016 that mentions Johnson's climbing exploits on the Third Flatiron.

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Correspondence, 1940-1952.
Correspondence, 1940-1952.
Call Number 719-1-(7-18)
Date 1940-1952
Contents 12 folders.
Description Letters written by Dale L. Johnson as a young man, 1940-1952. Two letters have been digitized: a letter from 1 October 1949 that tells about Johnson's first experiences as a student of University of Colorado, freshman hazing, and rock climbing and a 10-page letter postmarked 9 December 1949 that tells the story of Johnson and his friend Phil Robertson painting a "C" on the Third Flatiron and the consequences after being found out.

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Trail and Timberline issues, 1955-1968.
Trail and Timberline issues, 1955-1968.
Call Number 719-1-(19-22)
Date 1955-1968
Contents 4 folders.
Description Issues of Trail and Timberline, a publication of the Colorado Mountain Club, including the years 1955 and 1966-1968. August 1955 issue contains an article written by Dale Johnson. Other issues include Frostline Kits advertisements.

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Frostline catalogs, 1972-1977.
Frostline catalogs, 1972-1977.
Call Number 719-1-23
Date 1972-1977
Contents 7 catalogs.
Description Seven catalogs for Frostline Kits from 1972-1977. Catalogs include kits for a full range of mountaineering gear including tents, jackets, sleeping bags and packs. Scanned page is from spring-summer 1975 Frostline Kits catalog and shows president Dale Johnson in upper left of page.

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1993 Longs Peak Reunion documents.
1993 Longs Peak Reunion documents.
Call Number 719-1-24
Date 1993
Contents 1 folder.
Description Materials related to 1993 Longs Peak Reunion, celebrating 125 years since Major John Wesley Powell first climbed the mountain. Materials include schedule, event flier, and Dale Johnson's Longs Peak address on 40 years of climbing Longs Peak.

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Frostline kits instructions.
Frostline kits instructions.
Call Number 719-1-24
Date 1971-1978
Contents 6 documents.
Description Six Frostline Kits instruction booklets, published 1971-1978, including: frame sack, convertible bag, internal frame pack, compartment frame sack, suit size garment carrier, and anklets (anklets kit also has fabric and customer service card in envelope).

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Dale Johnson memorabilia.
Dale Johnson memorabilia.
Call Number 719-2
Date [1949-1999]
Contents 1 box.
Description One oversize box of Dale Johnson memorabilia, including: scrapbooks related to Johnson's mountaineering (likely dating 1949-1954) and his business Frostline Kits (late 1960s-1979); Johnson's memoir Calculated Risk; a book by Dale's son Bruce Johnson called The History of Gear: Frostline Kits, 1966-2007; a book from September 1975 titled "Record of Minutes" but that includes Frostline legal documents; and a large color photograph of Dale and Bruce Johnson mountaineering in Peru, perhaps in the 1990s.

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