About J.M. Lumber
Then...
In March 1923, William Madison Sr. and his brother-in-law, Arthur E. Johnson, opened Johnson-Madison Lumber Co. in a remodeled house at 815 9th St. N. Over a span of 82 years, the homegrown business has had a hand in building the rest of Great Falls.
In the early years, the yard sold mostly lumber, sashes, doors, mails and even coal, plus basic implements such as hammers or paintbrushes - decades before the giant home improvement stores that came later.
Madison became the sole proprietor in 1952 when Johnson retired. The sales and office spaces were expanded in 1954, and the business was incorported the following year.
William Madison Jr. joined the family business in 1949, and his father retired in 1958.
With the additional space, the company was able to offer more products and expand hardware lines to include paint, moldings and specialized materials, such as those used to build campers and trailers.
The second Madison to run the company is well known in the community for his musical talents on nthe accordion and piano. As a young man, he played on the radio show, "Mahor Bowe's Talent Show" and later toured with Horace Heidt.
After he retired in 1986, his sons, William L. Madison and Wayne "Larry" Madison became president and vice president, respectively. In 1990, the lumber yard moved to its current home at 815 10th St. N., just onne block away from its first home.
Over the years, employment has fluctuated from a staff as small as four to the current 62.
Now...
Today, Johnson Madison Lumber maintains 62 employees and a fleet of 28 delivery vehicles. The fleet includes vehicles ranging in size from half-ton pickups to a Hog with extendable hydraulic forks. JM also has its own rail site, complete with covered storage.