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Johannesburg
Johannesburg is a small unincorporated community located in Kern County, California, United States. It is situated in the high desert region of Southern California, near the towns of Randsburg and Red Mountain. Johannesburg is known for its historical significance as a mining town during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly during the Gold Rush era.
The area around Johannesburg was once home to gold and silver mines, which attracted prospectors and miners seeking their fortunes. However, the mining industry in the region declined over the years, and Johannesburg's population has dwindled significantly. Today, it is a sparsely populated community with a focus on preserving its historical heritage.
Visitors to Johannesburg can explore the remnants of old mining operations, ghost towns, and the rugged desert landscape. The town's history is a testament to the mining boom and bust cycles that occurred throughout California's history.
Johannesburg is a living ghost town with a population of nearly 200. It is a small mining town and quiet stop along busy Highway 395 near Red Mountain, Randsburg and Atolia.
Johannesburg at its height had a post office, two general stores, a real estate office, stationers and variety store, billiard-pool room, music hall, boarding houses, lunch counter, two laundries, two lumber yards, two livery stables, a barber shop, telegraph line with Mojave, and a telephone exchange with Randsburg. This greatly facilitated courting between the two towns, yet the party lines gave such unequalled privacy that two lovebirds found their conversations the subject of printed inquiries by the Randsburg Miner as to who had been making love to whom over the phone.
~ Desert Fever - Vredenberg & Harthill
Johannesburg Cemetery
Atolia
Red Mountain
Kramer Junction
Randsburg
Randsburg Railway
Randsburg Railway
