The Discovery Site
The Saw Mill
On January 24, 1848, an event occurred in Coloma, California that would greatly influence the history of California and the Nation. James W. Marshall, hired by Captain John Sutter to construct a sawmill on the South Fork of the American River, noticed several flakes of metal in the mill's tailrace and realized they were gold. News of the discovery spread quickly within the territory. The "first" Gold Rush soon began - followed by a mass migration in 1849, after President Polk's message to Congress on December 5, 1848 which verified Marshall's discovery.
The Presenter:
Alan Beilharz, Park Ranger, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Click to listen to a short
review.
