A house full of history found in Milton.

Courtesy Jonathan Copsey / Appen Newspapers

March 29, 2010 MILTON - Katherine Johnson is proud of her home. She’s lived there since the 1950s, turning what was once a simple shack into a two-bedroom cottage nestled among thick forest in the most rural part of Milton – what was then unincorporated Fulton County.

A lifelong collector, Johnson and her husband accumulated hoards of trinkets for their home, from the fireplace made of rocks blasted from the construction of I-285 to the old cavalry sword that hangs above it, everything has a story. The dresser in her room used to be an old wooden tool chest that she and her husband found by the side of the road in a mud pit in the 1970s. A little cleaning and new coat of paint, and it’s still used today. She still keeps her mother’s wedding dress in a prominent display in the living room. What’s more amazing is that the dress is from 1906.

Do the math. That pegs Katherine at quite an age. 98 in fact, and still going strong.

Katherine was treated to a special visit from Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood last week as a part of “Mayors for Meals,” a program from Senior Services North Fulton’s Meals on Wheels, helping the elderly with prepared meals.

Katherine took advantage of her visitors to give them the grand tour of the home, showing off her collections as well as the rather lengthy wall of family photos – all four generations of it. Despite being born in Atlanta, Katherine seems to enjoy her life in Milton, where she’s spent the majority of it.

“I’d rather be here than in Atlanta. It’s quiet and good out here,” she said.