Initially Johnstonville was known as 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 who, in 1859, along with his brother-in-law, Eber G. Bangham, traded a cow and calf to William Dow for his property there. At their December 7, 1864 meeting the Lassen County Board of Supervisors ordered the Toadtown Voting Precinct be changed to Johnstonville, and the Toadtown name faded into oblivion. It should also be the school their was originally known as Susan River and the name was changed to Johnstonville in 1877.

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Note: This article originally appeared on March 14, 2015. Normally, Tuesday is a wild card day. So this part experimental, as a subscriber, for reasons unknown, is not receiving the notification.

In 1861, Carlton Goodrich settled at Mountain Meadows and would become one of the largest property owners there, as his ranch totaled over 7,000 acres. He located his ranch house just west where the highway crosses Goodrich Creek, approximately across from where the old chimney stands. It became known as Mountain House and was a popular stop for weary travelers. In April 1875, Sylvester Daniels paid Goodrich a visit while touring the region and wrote, “I love these mountain folks. No aristocracy among them.” When Goodrich died in 1886, due to estate issues and the subsequent sale to John Crouch, the popular establishment closed. When the Red River Lumber Company established its Westwood operation, they transformed the old Goodrich ranch into a dairy.

Tim

While compiling an article on the naming of Chappuis Lane, for an illustration I scanned the wedding photograph of Ed Chappuis and Nancy Johnston. Then, it dawned on me, that many wedding portraits of the 1890s and early 1900s, the man is always seated and woman is always standing. To me it seems rather peculiar and may be there is story about the custom that I am not aware of.

Tim