Lake Chippewa Flowage Vacation

The (Sam) Johnson Stopping Place was located in what is now Trail’s End Camp, north of Bruce. The site is located near the mouth of Devil’s Creek. The road entering Trail’s End follows the old Chippewa Tote Road.

Ferry service across the Chippewa River was provided here, and there was a branch that went to Shaw Dam, which was constructed on the Thornapple River by Daniel Shaw in the 1860’s. Indians once inhabited it, and an extensive Indian burying was located on the hillside.

In the 1860’s there were three stopping places located on the Chippewa Tote Road. This was the lower of two Johnson stopping places. You can still find traces of the spots where the hotel, barns, warehouses and root cellar were located. Pine trees have been planted around the foundation of the original hotel.

Sam Johnson was the innkeeper, bartender, postmaster, store keeper, and logger.

Johnson’s Stopping Place was the headquarters for timber cruisers in the summer and crews of loggers in the winter.

A long wooden bridge spanned Devil’s Creek at the site, but flooding of the creek in the spring was an annual problem. Later, the Chippewa Tote Road was re-routed to the west, bypassing the Johnson’s Stopping Place.

Johnson moved to Bruce after 1884, where he built and operated the Johnson Hotel.