
Johnsonville / Russellville
Over Dragoons 140+ years of existence, Dragoon has had a suburb that has swung from having most of Dragoons populations pre 1900 to today when it has maybe two dozen residents as compared to the 300+ residents of the Village of Dragoon and another 300 residents of its immediate surroundings.
The town actually had two locations when it was moved from its first location to follow mining activity a couple miles away, but it all remained in that general area.
The town was quite developed at one point having stores, theater, church, saloons, post office, school, pool halls, meat market, dairy grocery and barber shop. It had stagecoach service daily to Dragoon and eventually got its own rail spur that has long since been removed.
In this picture of main street Johnsonville, looking toward Peabody mine, number 2 and 3 are pool halls, 4 is the theater, 5 is the butcher shop, beyond five is the lumber yard. Between 2 and is a residence and hotel. 6 is a general store.
The town supported over two dozen mines and dozens of prospects!
A newspaper article articulating the history of Russelville can be found below from 1888 as well as a mining report from May of 1882.
Photo courtesy of the Sulphur Springs Valley Historical Society
Jail remains - Click on photo to enlarge
Photo courtesy of the Sulphur Springs Valley Historical Society


Dairy
Certainly having a dairy in town was a sign of success!
Photo courtesy of the Sulphur Springs Valley Historical Society

Dairy
A sign of a successful dairy. An expanded family and a delivery wagon!
Photo courtesy of the Sulphur Springs Valley Historical Society

Russelville History
Published in the Arizona Weekly Citizen, 1888-09-15
Russelville 1882 Mining Report
