Milwaukie History Railroads Ecosystem Industrial Development Works Program Administration Flooding Plan Restoration Spring Water Corridor Teens on the Trail Memories Childhood Memories Development Recreation & Restoration Johnson Creek experienced rapid industrial development during the 1960s. Some of the nearby businesses contributed to water pollution along the creek. Signs of trouble began as long ago as 1848 when Lot Whitcomb built the area's first sawmill. Current sources of pollution include parking lot runoff, development on the floodplain, farm waste, raw sewage, pesticides, and in-stream garbage.