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The Johannesburg Manufacturing Company created a
state of the art lumber operation and incorporated the village in 1901.
The town was named for
Johanna
Hanson Bay,
sister of Rasmus Hanson who was president of the Company. (His mother's
name was also Johanna Hanson, but his sister and her husband
Rasmus
Bay moved to Johannesburg and became the company store
managers.)
Rasmus Hanson, Nels Michelson and Ernest Salling
owned and operated several lumber related businesses around northern Michigan. Johannesburg was the last they founded
together. By the time
Johannesburg
was established, the three founding fathers were elderly. Hanson's and
Michelson's sons managed the operation in
Johannesburg. Frank Michelson, Nels son, built a
beautiful home for his family in Johannesburg.
Most of the homes and commercial
buildings were owned by the Company. Rasmus Hanson's sister Mary
Rassmussen and her husband built the hotel, the largest commercial
building in town. Frank Michelson built another large commercial
building that housed many businesses. It was a brick block
structure...the only building constructed from brick. Later, the public
school was located in the brick building. In 1929, the Company closed
its doors - one month prior to the big stock market crash. They sold all
the homes and buildings they owned. Today the company store remains. It
has been vacant for many years. In 2009, it was placed on the National
Register of Historic places. - S.J. Schiller
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