John Calhoun Johnson
Encyclopedia
John Calhoun Johnson was a native of Deersville, Ohio
, who practiced law and operated a ranch in California
.
Johnson crossed the plains with ox teams in the spring of 1848. His first employment in the West was carrying the mail on snowshoes from Placerville
to Nevada City
, during which time he gave the name of Bigler's Lake to the body of water now known as Lake Tahoe
.
Johnson practiced law in the days of the vigilante
s and also acted as judge among the miners
. When California was admitted to the Union, Johnson was one of the first lawyer
s to be admitted to the bar of this state and engaged in practice in El Dorado
, Amador
, Nevada
, Sacramento
and other northern counties in the District and Circuit Courts. He was also a member of one of the first sessions of the California Legislature.
who proceeded to distinguish himself with his witty public speaking,” something John was always known for. Another account suggests, "He came west with a trail of oxen."
It is known he was boarding guests in California in 1849. Taking into account the time involved in securing land and constructing a prominent boarding house, it places him as a resident of California by at least 1848. There are many accounts of him making various treks in and out of the state and working alongside fellow Ohioans. Shortly after arriving the first time, he returned to the Midwest
, where he enlightened several friends and counterparts as to the land, beauty, and opportunities awaiting them out west in the new frontier. Johnson had an Indian scout companion by the name of Fallen Leaf (after which he later named Fallen Leaf Lake) and John C. Fremont
(the man who is credited with being the first white man to witness Lake Tahoe in 1844) had a scout with the same name. Bearing in mind this could possibly have been the same person; one would have to wonder if Fallen Leaf was companion to Fremont or Johnson first.
. The ranch and surrounding 320 acres (1.3 km²) land-hold steadily became an encampment and safe-haven for immigrants, emigrants, soldiers, and prospectors
who came across the passes. Accounts say that as many as 1000 were camped on the ranch at one time.
Johnson's Ranch served many functions. First and foremost, it was the home to his wife and nine children (seven surviving to adulthood). The ranch also served as a way station for thousands of emigrants crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains via Johnson's Pass and Echo Summit
; it contained a general store noted as being "as fair as any store in Placerville," and hotel for 14 other non-family permanent residents. The ranch had a timber mill and was littered with gold mines, the most profitable to be Mills Mine.
Sometime during the Indian Wars
of the 1850s, John Johnson's or "Colonel Johnson's" ranch was the temporary encampment to over 800 militiamen entrusted with the job of guarding the foothill communities against Indian invasion.
The militia
leader was Uncle Billy Rogers, the first Sheriff of El Dorado County. His relationship with Johnson is somewhat unclear; however, "It was most likely Rogers who made the encampment arrangements with Johnson. Rogers came west on the disastrous Pioneer Line of 1849 with other 'gentlemen' that did not want to try their hand at the trip encumbered with a wagon or pack animals." Johnson and Rodgers are also documented together in Diamond Springs, California.
representing El Dorado County, 1855-56. "He was civic minded and an active member of the Democratic County Committee for most of his life." Johnson served in the California Militia during the El Dorado Indian Wars of 1850-51, earning his declared title of Colonel. It is believed, however undocumented, he was an active Colonel prior to arriving in California.
Johnson would have received his education in Ohio, perhaps attending Cincinnati Law School. A recent letter received from this institution declares a person with the name John Johnson as recorded as attending the institution around that time, it is unknown if this is the same John Johnson as this biographical sketch. Another possibility from the correspondence of Robert Ellison (Nevada State Historical Archives and author of Lawmen of Nevada from 1851–1861 and History of The Emigrant Trail Trough Carson Valley From 1848-1852): "You probably won't find an institution awarding J.C. Johnson a law degree. Few Lawyers in the west had them. The majority read at the law under sitting on State Supreme Courts."
It is believed that Johnson arrived in California as a lawyer, by whichever means. Considering Ellison's point, and a contemporary newspaper account mentioning Johnson was "an old classmate" of the then acting Secretary of the Interior, B. R. Cowen (a famous Ohioan), it is quite possible that Johnson was an appointed lawyer through this friendship and not an institutionary graduated lawyer.
at the hands of the Apache
. The exact location is uncertain. It was around the area of the confluence of the Bairbara Coma Creek and the San Pedro River. His purpose for traveling to Arizona was to purchase a large tract of land, and search for farmable land for friends and relatives. He left his wife, family, and house behind. With him were his oldest son George, his partner Mr. Mowery [Mowry], and a young man by the name of George Woolfalk. One-account states:
"…he failed to file papers to keep his homestead in the Placerville area and he traveled with his son George and two other unknown men to Arizona to establish another ranching enterprise in 1876."
Deersville, Ohio
Deersville is a village in Harrison County, Ohio, United States. The population was 82 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Deersville is located at ....
, who practiced law and operated a ranch in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Johnson crossed the plains with ox teams in the spring of 1848. His first employment in the West was carrying the mail on snowshoes from Placerville
Placerville, California
Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,389 at the 2010 census, up from 9,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
to Nevada City
Nevada City, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 White, 26 African American, 28 Native American, 46 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 40 from other races,...
, during which time he gave the name of Bigler's Lake to the body of water now known as Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
.
Johnson practiced law in the days of the vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
s and also acted as judge among the miners
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
. When California was admitted to the Union, Johnson was one of the first lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s to be admitted to the bar of this state and engaged in practice in El Dorado
El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....
, Amador
Amador County, California
Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,091. The county seat is Jackson.Amador County bills itself as "The Heart of the Mother Lode" and lies within the Gold Country...
, Nevada
Nevada County, California
Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of California, in the Mother Lode country. As of 2010 its population was 98,764. The county seat is Nevada City.-History:Nevada County was created in 1851 from parts of Yuba County....
, Sacramento
Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Sacramento, which is also the state capital. As of 2010 the county had a population of 1,418,788....
and other northern counties in the District and Circuit Courts. He was also a member of one of the first sessions of the California Legislature.
California or bust
It is a bit unclear when or even how Johnson came west. One account states a "desert wagon train around 1847-48 carried young lawyer from CincinnatiCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
who proceeded to distinguish himself with his witty public speaking,” something John was always known for. Another account suggests, "He came west with a trail of oxen."
It is known he was boarding guests in California in 1849. Taking into account the time involved in securing land and constructing a prominent boarding house, it places him as a resident of California by at least 1848. There are many accounts of him making various treks in and out of the state and working alongside fellow Ohioans. Shortly after arriving the first time, he returned to the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, where he enlightened several friends and counterparts as to the land, beauty, and opportunities awaiting them out west in the new frontier. Johnson had an Indian scout companion by the name of Fallen Leaf (after which he later named Fallen Leaf Lake) and John C. Fremont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
(the man who is credited with being the first white man to witness Lake Tahoe in 1844) had a scout with the same name. Bearing in mind this could possibly have been the same person; one would have to wonder if Fallen Leaf was companion to Fremont or Johnson first.
Johnson's Ranch
Johnson's Ranch, known as “Six Mile Ranch,” was located one mile (1.6 km) northwest of Carson Valley Road east of Placerville, the current location of Camino, CaliforniaCamino, California
Camino is a census-designated place in El Dorado County, California, and, per the 2010 census, has a population of 1,750...
. The ranch and surrounding 320 acres (1.3 km²) land-hold steadily became an encampment and safe-haven for immigrants, emigrants, soldiers, and prospectors
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
who came across the passes. Accounts say that as many as 1000 were camped on the ranch at one time.
Johnson's Ranch served many functions. First and foremost, it was the home to his wife and nine children (seven surviving to adulthood). The ranch also served as a way station for thousands of emigrants crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains via Johnson's Pass and Echo Summit
Echo Summit
Echo Summit is a mountain pass located in eastern El Dorado County, California, USA. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on U.S...
; it contained a general store noted as being "as fair as any store in Placerville," and hotel for 14 other non-family permanent residents. The ranch had a timber mill and was littered with gold mines, the most profitable to be Mills Mine.
Sometime during the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
of the 1850s, John Johnson's or "Colonel Johnson's" ranch was the temporary encampment to over 800 militiamen entrusted with the job of guarding the foothill communities against Indian invasion.
The militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
leader was Uncle Billy Rogers, the first Sheriff of El Dorado County. His relationship with Johnson is somewhat unclear; however, "It was most likely Rogers who made the encampment arrangements with Johnson. Rogers came west on the disastrous Pioneer Line of 1849 with other 'gentlemen' that did not want to try their hand at the trip encumbered with a wagon or pack animals." Johnson and Rodgers are also documented together in Diamond Springs, California.
Work as a lawyer
Johnson was among the first practicing lawyers of California. He was the first Treasurer of El Dorado County, Secretary of Placerville, and soon became one of eight State AssemblymenCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
representing El Dorado County, 1855-56. "He was civic minded and an active member of the Democratic County Committee for most of his life." Johnson served in the California Militia during the El Dorado Indian Wars of 1850-51, earning his declared title of Colonel. It is believed, however undocumented, he was an active Colonel prior to arriving in California.
Johnson would have received his education in Ohio, perhaps attending Cincinnati Law School. A recent letter received from this institution declares a person with the name John Johnson as recorded as attending the institution around that time, it is unknown if this is the same John Johnson as this biographical sketch. Another possibility from the correspondence of Robert Ellison (Nevada State Historical Archives and author of Lawmen of Nevada from 1851–1861 and History of The Emigrant Trail Trough Carson Valley From 1848-1852): "You probably won't find an institution awarding J.C. Johnson a law degree. Few Lawyers in the west had them. The majority read at the law under sitting on State Supreme Courts."
It is believed that Johnson arrived in California as a lawyer, by whichever means. Considering Ellison's point, and a contemporary newspaper account mentioning Johnson was "an old classmate" of the then acting Secretary of the Interior, B. R. Cowen (a famous Ohioan), it is quite possible that Johnson was an appointed lawyer through this friendship and not an institutionary graduated lawyer.
Johnson's conclusion
John Calhoun Johnson's colorful life came to its conclusion on September 13, 1876, about 30 miles (48.3 km) above Tres Alamos Station, Arizona and 70 miles (112.7 km) southeast of TucsonTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
at the hands of the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
. The exact location is uncertain. It was around the area of the confluence of the Bairbara Coma Creek and the San Pedro River. His purpose for traveling to Arizona was to purchase a large tract of land, and search for farmable land for friends and relatives. He left his wife, family, and house behind. With him were his oldest son George, his partner Mr. Mowery [Mowry], and a young man by the name of George Woolfalk. One-account states:
"…he failed to file papers to keep his homestead in the Placerville area and he traveled with his son George and two other unknown men to Arizona to establish another ranching enterprise in 1876."
See also
- California Gold RushCalifornia Gold RushThe California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
- History of CaliforniaHistory of CaliforniaThe history of California can be divided into several periods: the Native American period; European exploration period from 1542 to 1769; the Spanish colonial period, 1769 to 1821; the Mexican period, 1821 to 1848; and United States statehood, which continues to the present day...
- Johnson's Cut-off of the California TrailCalifornia TrailThe California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California...
, laid out by Johnson in 1852