This Is Where It All Began

On January 24, 1848, while inspecting the tailrace of John Sutter's sawmill at Coloma, James Marshall discovered gold--setting off the California Gold Rush of 1849.  Here are a few pictures from the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park in Coloma, maybe a 45 minute drive from my house.

The American River at Coloma

Replica of Sutter's sawmill

Monument at the site of the original sawmill

 

A view of the "main intersection" in Coloma, with the South Fork of the American River barely visible downstream (to the left) from the one-way bridge

It's a fun place to take out-of-towners.  It's educational and historic, but it's also bucolic and beautiful.  There's a nice exhibit there showing the contributions of Chinese workers, and a house owned by a prominent black family, in addition to displays about gold mining and life in a gold camp.


Less than 3 years after Marshall's discovery, California entered the Union as the 31st state.  And it all started here.

Coda:  both Sutter and Marshall died poor.