Joel H. Johnson came to Parowan in 1851. In the spring of 1851, Joel went to Enoch meadows and settled on the bench of the upper meadow. They dug two cellars just west of where the Gibson home now stands. Here they lived for about three years, and the place was then known as Johnson's Springs. These springs were found for a distance of a mile or more both north and south along the bench. By December of 1852, there were seven families living at Johnson's Springs.

The fort was 10 rods (165 feet) square and the walls were made of mud. The bottom of the wall was 2 2 feet thick, the top was 18 inches thick and nine feet tall. Five adobe rooms were built in a row on the west side of the fort. The fort wall answered for the outside wall of the room. A two-story dwelling was built in the southwest corner of the fort. All windows and doors were on the inside walls of the rooms. A large two-story building was built in the southeast corner of the fort with portholes to be used in defense. This building was called the Bastion or Basties. The building was large enough so all living in the fort could gather there for protection. Sheds and corrals were built on the east side of the fort. On the west and north sides were built a grainery, blacksmith shop and chicken coop. All of these buildings mentioned were, even to the corral, built inside the fort. On the north side of the fort was a big high gate made of large logs. On the south side was an opening about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide for people to go in and out. This led to the ditch of water that ran by the south side. These two openings were the only ones in the fort. A well was dug in the center, and this was used for drinking and sometimes culinary purposes. On the outside of the Fort, on the west side, an apple orchard was planted and a space reserved for vegetable gardens was there. Another orchard was planted on the east side. These orchards were planted by the men who built the fort. No better variety of apples was grown anywhere than these two orchards produced. On the south side of the Fort was a farm which was irrigated by water from the Springs in the meadow in the east. On the north were many acres of good pasture land. Cottonwood trees were planted on the south, east, and west sides of the fort.