Gold mining towns stretched along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada from Mariposa on the south to Sierra City and beyond on the north. The stretch of mining towns from the south to the north was roughly cut in two, west to east, from El Dorado to Colma. The southern section was referred to as "The Mother Lode" and the northern section as "The Northern Mines." Mother Lode towns were frequently settled by Mexicans and the Northern Mines by whites of various origins. Not surprising that many towns in the southern section bore names of Mexican origin. It is surprising that North San Juan bears a Mexican name given its location in the northern section. The town was first named San Juan and was given that name by a German miner who had served with General Scott's army in Mexico. As there was already a town by that name in San Benito County, adding the word "North" made it legal. The town is on highway 49, north of Nevada City. Submitted by Henry Chenowith.

Because there was already a San Juan in another county, the U.S. Postal Service added “North” to the name to avoid confusion. This is a delightful old town that includes eight brick buildings said to date to the mid-1850s. The white frame United Methodist Church dates back to 1856 and has been one of the oldest continuously operated churches in California. The town is a short distance northeast of Nevada City.