James Johnstun, the Great-Grandfather of Dave (co-founder of this website) was a master woodworker in every sense of the phrase. He was born in 1853 in Park City, Utah and was well known in the area for many years as an owner of the first sawmill in Ashley Valley which he established October 27, 1880. He had actually moved this mill from San Francisco where the competition was a bit more pronounced. The mill stood on the N.E. corner of Main Street and 5th West in Vernal, Utah until 1892 when it was destroyed by fire.

There was a high demand for wood in the area, since other building products were so costly to ship into the region. In fact, bricks were cheaper to ship by the Postal service than by having them carted in. People who used brick actually had them shipped brick by brick, affixing a stamp to each brick. Of course, the existence of the sawmill made using wood much more convenient and less costly.

In addition to being the owner of the mill, James Johnstun was a woodworker and craftsman extroardinaire. The proof is in the pictures on this page, which Dave and I obtained during our recent visit to Utah. Grandfather Johnstun's inlay work is unsurpassed as you will see.

This table containes 13,743 pieces of hardwood representing 38 species. James Johnstun cut each piece from a variety of trees as he needed a specific grain or color. Then he cut small pieces to make up the pattern making a very elaborate jigsaw puzzle top. The jig that he used to cut the pieces is still in the possession of his Grandson, and Dave's Uncle, who is also James Johnstun. The pieces, after cutting, were then glued very painstakingly together to form the tabletop, sides and legs. This major project took Jim Johnstun just 8 months to complete. You can see the detail of the inlay in the two pictures below.

This table was displayed in a store for a few years and unfortunately, the owner chose to display it in the front window where the sun was allowed to beat in on it. After that, it was taken over by a relative who sat her plants on it. Any damage you note is due to the ravages of the sun and the water that was allowed to seep from the plants. Dave is hoping to be allowed to completely restore the finish someday.

You will find more of Jim Johnstun's fine work by visiting the "Turned Inlay Lamp" page in this section. The process for the lamp is similar to that for the table, but just a bit different because of the turning involved.