Legendary Tahoe Lawman

By Mark McLaughlin

It was a sad day for the small community of Tahoe City in the spring of 1932. Citizens dressed in black were in the process of burying the town’s first constable; the revered pioneer Robert Montgomery Watson. Watson had arrived at Lake Tahoe in the 1870s to work in the logging industry, but in 1906 he was appointed Tahoe City’s first constable. Well respected as the town’s first lawman and a noted historian, Constable Watson served his community until 1932 when he was injured after a fall from the roof while shoveling snow. He had broken some ribs, but then contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 80.

When Harry Edward Johanson first rode into town on that fateful April day, he observed a somber funeral procession and Watson’s casket being drawn across the snow-covered meadow, toward the Tahoe City Cemetery. Businesses were closed and school bells tolled. During the service, Watson’s daughter Alice described her father “as a man who never fought with man or beast, but gave of himself to improve the place where he lived, be it through planting trout in a mountain lake or marking a trail for the joy of a horseman.”

Harry Johanson was nothing like the soft and gentle Watson, the latter having settled down and raised a family with his wife. Watson also had a reputation for getting rowdy drunks home as opposed to throwing them into Tahoe City’s twelve-foot square, damp, windowless, concrete jail. Johanson, on the other hand, was afflicted with wanderlust and had not planned on settling in Tahoe City permanently; falling immediately in love with the Lake and the snow-covered mountains. Born in the mountains of Sweden in 1889, Johanson had demonstrated exceptional youthful athleticism by taking top honors in many skiing, swimming and long distance running competitions. He ended up winning a total of 84 medals and trophies, including a third place finish just behind Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, who later took gold medals in the long distance events of the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics.

Johanson studied architectural drafting at the University of Uppsala and after graduation, joined the Swedish Army Air Corp. In his late 30s, Harry decided to immigrate to the United States, but the quotas were full and instead he sailed for Canada. He took on a variety of jobs as he worked his way west, traveling the wilds of northern Canada to hunt, fish, and compete in sporting events like long distance swimming contests. He eventually became an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. While serving three years with the “Mounties” he learned horsemanship and dog sledding, skills that would serve him well upon his arrival at Lake Tahoe.

Harry eventually received his papers to immigrate to the U.S. and he briefly took a job as a draftsman in El Centro, located in the sweltering heat of the Imperial Valley of Southern California. It didn’t take long for the Scandinavian-born, backcountry expert to realize that it was in the upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada where he would feel most at home.

Upon his arrival at Lake Tahoe, Harry took a caretaker position at a West Shore estate. Residents found the Swedish newcomer polite and well versed in the skills necessary for travel and survival in a snowbound environment. In December 1934, Johanson finally received his U.S. citizenship and two months later he took the oath as Tahoe City’s second official constable. It soon became apparent, however, that “Harry Jo” as locals liked to call him, would be a much different constable than his predecessor. While Robert Watson was known as a quiet, reserved family man, Johanson was a confirmed bachelor and soldier of fortune, with a flamboyant personality that defined him as a confident, self-made man.

Harry Jo wasted no time in taking charge of his new role as the region’s sole constable. He covered his beat of 200 square miles by horseback in summer, usually riding his favorite mount, a handsome Palomino named “Viking”. During the snowy winter months he traveled by dogsled; Harry Jo loved his dogs more than anything else in the world. One of his favorite quotes was “A man’s best friend is his dog, better even than his wife.” Johanson kept up to 15 dogs at a time, most of them Malamutes, to pull his sled. Despite heavy winter storms that buried the region in deep snow, Johanson was able to make his rounds to check on the year-round residents who were trying to tough it out during the harsh winter months. Blessed with incredible endurance and an expert on cross-country skis, in 1937 he circled Lake Tahoe in one day… and met only one person.

During the 1930s, Johanson and his sled dogs performed in many adventure movies. Hollywood directors filmed many of that era’s action flicks at Lake Tahoe and Big Bear in Southern California. Harry Jo often performed as a stunt double and had gigs in such epics as “Call of the Wild” (Harry stood in for Clark Gable), “White Fang,” and “Rose Marie” in which he doubled for actor Nelson Eddy. Johanson preferred the devoted companionship of his dogs over any commitment to a woman, but the handsome constable with wavy blond hair certainly enjoyed the “fairer sex.” His brief marriage to local schoolteacher Dorothy Zaharias produced a child, but Harry argued that he was not the father and she left town with the baby, vowing never to return. Afterward, Harry said, “The more I see of women, the more I love my dogs.”

Despite his well-publicized sentiments regarding marriage and women, he nevertheless flirted with many of the eligible females in Tahoe City. He always wore his dashing uniform and carried his service revolver even while drinking in the local taverns. Johanson was not a tall man and wore large-heeled boots with lifters in the soles to raise his physical stature. Rumor has it that the beautiful actress, Jeanette MacDonald, star in “Rose Marie,” was one of his conquests.

Constable Johanson played an active role in regional law enforcement, not only capturing “crooks” (once nabbing a Half Moon Bay murder suspect in Tahoe City), but also in confiscating and busting up slot machines while shutting down local gambling operations. Johanson wore other hats too, simultaneously performing the duties of deputy sheriff, deputy tax collector and deputy coroner.

Tahoe City was a small community back then. When Harry bought his house (the current Wolfdale’s Restaurant), some locals complained about his living so far out of town. He had always wanted a black Ford Mustang patrol car, and eventually he replaced his horse with one, complete with a flashing red light on top.

After 32 years of service he resigned in 1967. More than 200 people attended his retirement dinner at Sunnyside Lodge. In 1969, when U.S. astronauts landed on the moon, Harry received a packet of stunning color photos of the event from his nephew, a vice president with Hasselblad, the Swedish camera company. The pictures were passed around and then placed on display at the Tahoe City Pharmacy. Harry Jo eventually moved to Reno and died in 1980, but was buried in Tahoe City’s Trails End Cemetery, which he renovated in the 1950s. Yep, they don’t make ‘em like Constable Johanson anymore.

Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlin is a nationally published author and professional speaker. His award-winning books are available at local bookstores or at www.thestormking.com. Check out Mark’s blog: www.tahoenuggets.com