Farmingdale Faces: William Johnston

Considering the rich knowledge Historian William Johnston has about the community, it's surprising he is not a Farmingdale native.

“We’re not exactly newcomers but we arrived as adults," Johnston said. Johnston and his wife, Mildred, moved to Farmingdale from Pittsburgh in the summer of 1962.

Johnston studied at the University of Pittsburgh and earned two degrees in History and Political Science, with minors in Sociology and English.

“I have always enjoyed music and writing,” he said. “I even worked for a couple of Pittsburgh papers briefly during college.”

Johnston expressed his concern for print journalism and the difficulty it is having. “Things change,” he said. “In a free society, the exchange of information is the important thing, and that is why I am so passionate about education.”

Johnston and his wife spent eight years in Pittsburgh before looking for work elsewhere. “We didn’t know a thing about Farmingdale and came here on Easter/ Passover vacation just to look at the community. We bought a house in a few days, which we still live in,” he said.

An advocate for education, Johnston elevated in the ranks as a teacher, principal and administrator over the next 28 years at following his arrival in Farmingdale. The school recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

“I had an enjoyable and very challenging career as an educator,” said Johnston. But it was his love for history that led him to become an historian.

“It was a matter of working my way up through the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society and heading some committees in order to become the Village Historian,” he said.

In 1990, Johnston was chosen by the group as Citizen of the Year and was officially named the Village Historian.

“Bill Johnston is a very dedicated Village Historian,” said Farmingdale Deputy Clerk Treasurer Barbara Kelly. “I admire his passion for Farmingdale and it’s history.” 

Johnston is passionate about residents remembering Farmingdale's past.

“You learn from the past and you learn to respect the people who got the community to where it is by their hard work,” said Johnston. “Many of them are almost forgotten.”

As Village Historian, Johnston’s daily duties vary. “Sometimes there is such an overlap of my work with the historical society,” he said. He helps organize events such as The Minute of History and the annual tree lighting celebration.

Johnston was honored in 2009 with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Local Government Historians award, given to him by the State Historian and the Association of Public Historians of New York State. The award recognizes an individual for lifetime achievement in the practice of public history.

“That award was very meaningful to me because it came from my 1640 colleagues across the state. It was nice to be recognized even though you are not looking for it,” he said.

Johnston’s role as Village Historian is a volunteer position and uses some of the same skills he acquired as a teacher.

“I can’t imagine any other career path,” he said. “Being an educator was certainly rewarding. I am proud to serve Farmingdale in terms of public schools and the work that my colleagues past and present do."

Johnston continues to teach through Farmingdale history walks and other programs. Old Bethpage Restoration Village is a natural favorite local place for Johnston.

“We are very fortunate to have a living history museum just a few miles from the local area,” he said. “It tells you so much about what old time Farmingdale was like back then.”

Despite not being born in Farmingdale, Johnston said the community welcomed him.

"I’m glad that we selected Farmingdale when my wife and I moved to Long Island,” he said.

Nominate local residents for our Farmingdale Faces column. Email amandaf@patch.com