In the early 1860s, it was called Toadtown. According to Farris & Smith (1882): “Tradition hath it that in the early settlement of the valley, whenever a heavy rain-storm was experienced, the ground was literally covered with diminutive toads.” Lisle Lester, a noted journalist, wrote in 1865: “Toadtown is a mere bit of a hamlet, on the Susan River, notable for its name. I wondered why it was called Toadtown? Roseville would have been more appropriate for the banks of the river was fairly bordered with wild roses.” Johnstonville was named for Robert Johnston (1826-1898) who, in 1859, along with his brother-in-law, Eber G. Bangham, traded a cow and calf to William Dow for his property there. On December 7, 1864, the Lassen County Board of Supervisors ordered the Toadtown Voting Precinct be changed to Johnstonville.
The Johnstonville School was originally known as Susan River and that name was not changed until 1878. For a period time there was the Johnstonville Post Office that operated from 1902-1943.
Hi Tim, was there a town of or place known as Susan River, aside from the river itself? I note that you say the Johnstonville School used to be known as Susan River, and I’ve noted that Susan River is the place given as where several of the Shinns died.
In the 1870s and 1880s there was the Susan River Voting Precinct, which covered a large territory from east of Johnstonville to the Nevada State Line, that even included the Shinn Ranch. It was a sparsely settled region, with no towns. That changed with the NCO Railroad and Amedee.