For the Fans of Highway 50
- Thread starter Wandering Sagebrush
- Start date
craig333
Riley's Human
I've never seen this one before. Thanks for posting it. Just in my short driving career I've seen 50 change a lot. Its much straighter than it was when I started driving the road.
Thanks Steve that was very interesting.
So much history in the Sierras .
Frank
So much history in the Sierras .
Frank
Looks like home to me! I really enjoyed the picture of Fred's Place (2:23 in the video) at 5000 feet elevation.
Some of the best Gold Rush era stories about traveling the Johnson Cut-off were written by J. Ross Browne.
Of course, Mark Twain also tells the story about Horace Greeley's ride with famous stage driver Hank Monk in Roughing It.
John C. Johnson (who scouted the original route of the cut-off - it replaced the much higher, longer, and much more difficult Sierra crossing at Carson Pass) followed his friend, Henry Hooker to Arizona. Hooker's store in downtown Placerville burnt down in 1866. Sadly, Johnson was killed by Apaches in Arizona before he completed a home and had his family join him there.
One of the best Johnson Pass stories is the tale about Hooker's turkey drive over Johnson Pass to Virginia City and the Comstock Lode. After his business burnt down in Placerville and in desperate straits, Hooker heard that there were no turkeys in Virginia City for holiday dinners. He devised a plan and bought 500 turkeys in the Sacramento Valley. He just needed to get them over the Sierra Nevada to Virginia City and sell them at an astronomical price to the anxious holiday celebrants to make a fortune. Here's one version of the tale - Henry Clay Hooker and the Great Turkey Drive of 1866.
There are a few mistakes and omissions in the linked story. John Johnson's great granddaughter tells the best version in her book about her great grandfather. Hooker was concerned about the turkeys' feet giving out on the long walk so he marched them through a bath of warm tar and then sand to coat their feet for the journey. Also, it was at Johnson Pass where the turkeys took flight and flew down to Lake Tahoe. Surprisingly, the linked story claims this is all a tall tale. Balderdash! Every bit of this story is true. You will never convince me otherwise.
Thanks Mr. Sage for this link.
Local artist Jonni Hill has wonderful pencil drawings of many of the historic way stations that once stood along Johnsons Cut-off.
Fred's Place
Kyburz
Riverton
Mr. Sage, you got my memories stirred up with this one.
Some of the best Gold Rush era stories about traveling the Johnson Cut-off were written by J. Ross Browne.
Of course, Mark Twain also tells the story about Horace Greeley's ride with famous stage driver Hank Monk in Roughing It.
John C. Johnson (who scouted the original route of the cut-off - it replaced the much higher, longer, and much more difficult Sierra crossing at Carson Pass) followed his friend, Henry Hooker to Arizona. Hooker's store in downtown Placerville burnt down in 1866. Sadly, Johnson was killed by Apaches in Arizona before he completed a home and had his family join him there.
One of the best Johnson Pass stories is the tale about Hooker's turkey drive over Johnson Pass to Virginia City and the Comstock Lode. After his business burnt down in Placerville and in desperate straits, Hooker heard that there were no turkeys in Virginia City for holiday dinners. He devised a plan and bought 500 turkeys in the Sacramento Valley. He just needed to get them over the Sierra Nevada to Virginia City and sell them at an astronomical price to the anxious holiday celebrants to make a fortune. Here's one version of the tale - Henry Clay Hooker and the Great Turkey Drive of 1866.
There are a few mistakes and omissions in the linked story. John Johnson's great granddaughter tells the best version in her book about her great grandfather. Hooker was concerned about the turkeys' feet giving out on the long walk so he marched them through a bath of warm tar and then sand to coat their feet for the journey. Also, it was at Johnson Pass where the turkeys took flight and flew down to Lake Tahoe. Surprisingly, the linked story claims this is all a tall tale. Balderdash! Every bit of this story is true. You will never convince me otherwise.
Thanks Mr. Sage for this link.
Local artist Jonni Hill has wonderful pencil drawings of many of the historic way stations that once stood along Johnsons Cut-off.
Fred's Place
Kyburz
Riverton
Mr. Sage, you got my memories stirred up with this one.
OP
OP
Somehow I kinda suspected you might enjoy this one, and I am pleased you did.ski3pin said:Looks like home to me! I really enjoyed the picture of Fred's Place (2:23 in the video) at 5000 feet elevation.
<snip>
Thanks Mr. Sage for this link.
Local artist Jonni Hill has wonderful pencil drawings of many of the historic way stations at once stood along Johnsons Cut-off.
<snip>
Mr. Sage, you got my memories stirred up with this one.
The turkey drive story is hilarious. I can't picture controlling that many turkeys.
I've heard that story about using tar to protect their feet.
Frank
I've heard that story about using tar to protect their feet.
Frank
Great timing, as I plan on driving that road relatively soon. What amazes me is the speed of the change. Just a few years between bad roads, months of travel to get messages through, to telegraph...
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