Cassopolis – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Cassopolis Fire Department

Cassopolis, Michigan

I have painted several fire related paintings, which make up my fireman set. In choosing a fire station, my first choice was my most familiar. I grew up in Cassopolis, Michigan until was 10 years old. Living in an upstairs apartment less than one block from the volunteer fire department, I became familiar to the sound of the siren that alerts everyone when they are needed. It was not much of a fancy fire station, but it was ours. As a young boy, I was always fascinated by the water tower that sat behind the station. This painting was one of my early paintings, so you can see the difference in my artistic talents from then.

As part of the Fireman’s set, it became a big seller all over the country. Other paintings included: The Fire Dog; Fire Truck; Miami fire station and the Fire Hose Reel.

Cass Taxi

Cassopolis, Michigan

Not all paintings, that I created were for sale. I have painted a number of them as gifts for members of our family. Cass Taxi, was a present for my mother and father. When my dad got of WWII, he bought a chicken coop and made a taxi business in the center of the village of Cassopolis, Michigan.

In addition to the taxi business, of which my mother and dad ran 24 hours a day between the two of them, they also had a Greyhound bus station. The painting was a picture of them standing in front of the office, with my mother holding our Boston terrier, “Puggie”.

They ran the Taxi business from 1947 until 1957. I painted the painting and gave it to them for Christmas in about 1989. The painting now hangs in my home.