Quaint Johnsville - Oakland Tribune - Sunday, September 15, 1957

Quaint Johnsville Sun, Sep 15, 1957 – 61 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, Alameda, California, United States of America) · Newspapers.com

Quaint Johnsville 

The Knave: Last week with a friend, Dean Shane of San Jose, I drove up Route 101 to Eureka and Arcata, then over the range to Willow Creek, down Trinity River to Weitchpec and up the Klamath River to old Orleans Bar. The weather was perfect for color pictures. From Orleans we retraced our way to Willow Creek and up the Trinity to Weaverville, then east to old Shasta City, Redding and Burney Falls. These falls are among the most beautiful in California. Thence we proceeded to Lassen Park, Truckee, Lake Tahoe, and home by Donner Summit. One of the most interesting stops was at the old town of Johnsville a few miles west of Mohawk on Route 89. Here is one of the best preserved old towns of the gold mining days in the high Sierra. Apparently the town never had a bad fire, and the original buildings stand in quaint formation along the main street Along about 1870 John Parrott bought up the old mines of the Plumas-Eureka, Mammoth, Washington, and Rough and Ready, but soon afterward sold them to the Sierra Buttes Company of London. This company, in 1876, laid out the town of Johnsville on Jamison Creek, about two miles from Jamison on the same creek which had been settled in 1853. All along Jamison Creek are evidences of quartz mills, arrastras, mine shafts and placer diggings. The mines around Johnsville have long been closed, but a few families still live at the old town in rejuvenated houses. Presumably, they work in lumbering or Highway service. Among the old buildings in Johnsville is an old frame hotel, an ancient firehouse, a general store, and a number of dwellings. The old hotel had a balcony around three sides of the structure, part of which had fallen to the ground. The old firehouse and store across the street stand in lonely decrepitude. Someone still operates the old store upon which are nailed a number of amusing placards. These were probably collected from other buildings and placed on the front wall of the store. Here are some of the quaint sayings: "Mr. Lee is an open book with blank pages." "You-ens are welcome." "Whatever isn't growing wears out" "It ain't the fustest, its the mostest which counts mostest" "Please don't go away mad." "For sale - no fire water." And, "I love two legged ears." There is a quiet, somnolent atmosphere about the old town that soothes a modern man's tensions and welcomes rest. - John W. Winkley.