John Calhoun “Cock-eye” Johnson. Photo from the California State Archives.
We continue our adventure up Meyer’s Grade near Lake Tahoe on the old Lincoln Highway. This climb was the last major difficulty for emigrants in the 1850s who had come to settle in California or gather its riches and head back home. Early automobiles would often break down under the climb's strain, and reaching Johnson’s Pass was a major relief, as it was mostly downhill to Sacramento.
Johnson’s Pass is named after John Calhoun Johnson (1822 - September 13, 1876), a native of Deersville, Ohio. Johnson was the first trans-Sierra mail carrier, who delivered mail from Carson City, Nevada, to Take Tahoe, California, and continued to Hangtown, CA (Placerville, CA). Johnson used the Truckee River Route and the Carson Emigrant Trail to deliver the mail, but these were difficult trails to travel, and he started to look for another way up and over the summit. Johnsons figured if a trail could be built starting at the north end of Carson Valley and then made to go west over the mountains to Placerville, a large chunk of the Carson River Route would be “cut-off.” Johnson built that road, and it became known as Johnson’s Cut-Off Trail, saving much time and effort for travelers. It soon became the most popular route into California for emigrants and wagon trains.
We have learned that the 1913 original alignment of the Lincoln Highway often followed these old wagon routes and emigrant trails, and this was no exception. Automobiles were still a new thing in 1913, and road construction hadn’t caught up to the new-fangled horseless carriages, so they just followed the dirt trails like this one.
T.C. Wohlbrück photo showing the building at the summit before he built onto it.
Once you reached the top of the summit in 1918, this small forest service building would have greeted you. A visionary named Theodore Clemens Wohlbrück (1879–1936), known as "T.C." was a photographer who arrived in California in 1912. He realized that the new automobile and its passengers would need supplies. TC started what he called Canteen Service Stations in three locations of the Sierra Nevada, Donner Lake, Emigrant Pass, and here at Johnson’s Pass, Echo Summit. You can read more about TC and his Canteens here.
T.C. Wohlbrück photo showing the view of the Tahoe Valley from the Summit Lodge.
The view from the Summit Lodge is famous, and TC made sure to record it in the above photo. In the lower photo, we have a modern day view from the same spot.
The view from atop Johnson’s Pass at Echo Summit, CA.
TC Wohlbrück photo showing his Canteen Service Station at Johnson’s Pass.
TC Wohlbrück arranged a lease with the Forest Service to add to and develop the cabin as one of his Canteen/Service Stations. In the above photo, we can see the enlarged Canteen waiting for customers. The sign on the right mentions there is no illegal parking on the Lincoln Highway in the Eldorado National Forest. The photos of the Tahoe Basin were taken from just below the stairs, looking east.
The view from Johnson’s Pass looking east.
Pictured below is a Trails West historical “T” Markers at Johnson’s Pass. Each marker quotes from an emigrant diary about the very spot you are standing. In the next installment of our Lincoln Highway Adventure through El Dorado County, we will look around The Johnson’s Pass area and take a rare look inside the canteen.
Trail West “T” marker at Johnson’s Pass.
Map showing location and features at Johnson’s Pass.