Historical Timeline
1895: Gold was discovered at the Yellow Aster Mine in nearby Randsburg. That discovery kicked off one of the most energetic mining booms in the Mojave Desert, and the region suddenly had a future.
1896: Johannesburg was founded to support the growing mining activity. It wasn’t named after someone local — the name came from Johannesburg, South Africa, another famous gold rush town. That international nod reflected the hopes people had for the area’s potential.
1897: The Randsburg Railway was completed, linking Johannesburg to Kramer Junction. Now miners could ship out their ore and supplies much faster, and the town began to hum with rail whistles and wagon wheels.
1900: Believe it or not, Johannesburg had its 9-hole golf course. It was the pride of the desert, with a 13-member club that included seven women. It was not exactly Pebble Beach, but it showed how much folks wanted to make the desert feel like home.
1919: Silver was struck near Red Mountain, just north of Johannesburg. The Rand Silver Mine became California’s top silver producer, drawing a second wave of miners, merchants, and roughnecks into the area.
1933: After decades of mining highs and lows, the Randsburg Railway shut down. The mines were slowing, the Depression was deepening, and the trains stopped rolling.
Present Day: Johannesburg is a quiet, unincorporated community with just over 100 residents. The desert has reclaimed much of the noise and bustle, but remnants of its mining past still dot the hills. Old buildings, weathered signs, and mine shafts remind visitors of a time when this tiny town helped fuel California’s economy with gold and silver.