Our Mission The mission of State Parks is “ onday 24th. Marshall Gold to provide for the health, inspiration and M education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological This day some kind of mettle Discovery diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities was found in the tail race State Historic Park for high-quality outdoor recreation. that looks like goald, first discovered by James Martial, the Boss of the Mill.” — from Henry Bigler’s Diary, January 1848 California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (530) 622-3470. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact [email protected].

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service

www.parks.ca.gov

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Hwy. 49/Coloma Road at Bridge Street PO Box 265, Coloma, CA 95613 (530) 622-3470 www.parks.ca.gov/marshallgold

© 2004 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) A long California’s historic their home along the lumber business. They selected Coloma Highway 49, tucked neatly “Cullumah,” now known as Coloma. Valley, 45 miles east of Sutter’s fort, as a into a beautifully forested As “river people,” they enjoyed an mill site because it had a river for power valley in the Sierra foothills, abundance of freshwater fish as well as and stands of large ponderosa pine trees Marshall Gold Discovery State waterfowl, elk, deer, and small game and for lumber. As equal partners, Sutter Historic Park straddles the lived on a staple diet of acorns, seeds, would furnish the capital and Marshall South Fork of the American and fruits. The hollowed-out holes would oversee the mill’s construction River. Here, on January 24, in a large bedrock in the park — the and daily operation. 1848, James Marshall found last remaining evidence of the native In the fall of 1847, Marshall began gold flakes in the tailrace and people’s original presence here — show construction of the mill with a labor force sparked one of history’s largest how they processed the acorns that that included local Indians and members human migrations. Sutter’s Mill replica formed their main diet. of the U.S. Army . A low Until they met fur trappers in the late dam was built across the river to direct PARK HISTORY 1820s, the native people had little contact part of the stream into the diversion Native People with the outside world. By the late 1830s, channel that would carry it through the For thousands of years, the and however, diseases introduced by the mill. By January of foothill people built their dome- newcomers had nearly decimated the next year, the shaped houses and cedar bark structures the native people. When gold was mill was ready to be in villages along the streams and discovered along the American River tested. However, the tributaries that drained into the in the Coloma Valley, hordes of gold- tailrace, which carried American, Cosumnes, Bear, seekers seized control of the California water away from the and Yuba rivers. They called Indians’ fishing and gathering sites. By mill, was too shallow, 1849, the remaining native people who backing up water and Watercolor of an Eastern had survived the combined hardships Photo courtesy of California preventing the mill Miwok woman fashioning a of disease and conflicts with settlers Sacramento, California State Library, wheel from turning seed-gathering basket, by Seth Eastman had dispersed to more remote foothills properly. To deepen and valleys. A few turned to mining, and John A. Sutter the tailrace, each day some went to work for John Sutter. the Indian laborers loosened the rock. At January 24, 1848 — GOLD DISCOVERY night, water was allowed to run through the ditch to wash away the loose debris John Sutter was founder of “New from that day’s diggings. Helvetia” — later named Sacramento — On the morning of January 24, 1848, and a vast agricultural empire in the while inspecting the millrace, Marshall Sacramento Valley. He partnered with spotted some shiny flecks in the tailrace. James W. Marshall to go into the

Artwork courtesy of W. Duncan and Nevin MacMillan, and Afton Historical Society Press He scooped them up workers readily gave him a tithe fighting alongside the Americans during and pounded them with of the gold they had found. When their conquest of California in 1846, he a rock; he then placed Brannan visited returned home to discover his cattle strayed them in the crown of in May, he paraded the streets or stolen. He met again with John Sutter, his hat and hurried to waving a quinine bottle full of who gave him the task of finding a site to announce his find to gold, shouting, “Gold! Gold! Gold build their new sawmill. the others. from the American River!” By the With Marshall’s gold discovery, the sawmill Marshall told the mill end of May, San Francisco was at Coloma quickly lost its sleepy, peaceful workers, “Boys, by God, reported to be “half empty” as aspect. In July 1848, the area’s population I believe I’ve found a its able-bodied men departed had jumped to 1,000. That December, gold mine.” When Mr. for the mines. The excitement flooding caused Sutter to sell his interest Scott — a carpenter grew when an army officer in the mill, and Marshall took on two working on the mill carried a tea caddy full new partners. Later, management wheel — disputed his of gold to Washington, problems entangled the mill in Early drawing of Sutter’s Mill, claim, Marshall replied Early drawing of Sutter’s Mill, D.C. Shortly after legal difficulties, and after 1850 it c. 1849 positively, “I know it ca. 1849 President James K. was abandoned. Marshall spent to be nothing else.” Polk confirmed the the next few years searching for Marshall again pounded it on a rock, and the rumors, thousands joined the more gold, with little success. In cook, Jenny Wimmer, boiled it in lye soap. It trek to the . 1857 he bought fifteen acres of passed all their tests — it was pure gold. land in Coloma for $15 and built Four days later Marshall rode to the fort JAMES MARSHALL’S STORY a cabin near the Catholic church. with samples of the gold. Sutter consulted In the late 1830s, Investing in new and exotic varieties his encyclopedia, tried various tests, and native James Marshall traveled of grapevines, he planted a vineyard confirmed Marshall’s conclusion. Mindful west to Missouri, where he James Wilson Marshall on the hillside above the cemetery, as drawn in 1849 of their investment in the mill, they agreed worked as a carpenter and dug a cellar, and began to make wine to keep the news secret until the mill was farmer along the Missouri River. for sale. By 1860 his vines were doing so in operation. After all, this was not the first When his doctor advised him to seek a well that his entry in the county fair received time gold had been discovered in California, healthier climate, Marshall joined a wagon an award, but in the late 1860s, a series of and no one assumed that this find was train bound for Oregon in 1844. In June setbacks sent him prospecting again. particularly important. 1845, he headed for California with a small During this time, Marshall became part But it was a secret that could not be party of settlers. owner of a quartz mine near Kelsey. Hoping kept. In a letter to General Mariano Vallejo, He arrived at Sutter’s fort in July and was to raise funds to develop the mine, he Sutter bragged about the discovery. immediately hired as a wheelwright and went on a lecture tour, only to find himself Mormon elder Sam Brannan, who operated carpenter. Craftsmen with his experience stranded, penniless, in Kansas City. In a a general store at the fort, went to the mill were scarce in California. Marshall philanthropic gesture, Leland Stanford to see for himself. Several Mormon mill purchased a ranch on Butte Creek, but after paid Marshall’s fare to New Jersey, where he visited his mother and sister. After a few early. By 1857 many miners had left, but a months, he returned to Kelsey and moved few Chinese miners remained to work the into the Union Hotel. placer sites. Two structures used by the For his role in the Gold Rush, in 1872 the Chinese remain in the park today — the State Legislature awarded Marshall a $200 Man Lee building, which housed a monthly pension for two years. He paid some Chinese trading and banking company debts and equipped a blacksmith shop in as well as a hardware store, and the Wah Kelsey. The pension was halved for the next Hop Store, once leased to a Chinese four years; it ended in 1878 amid criticism merchant of that name. They currently of Marshall’s personal habits — namely his house exhibits of gold mining techniques weakness for liquor. and the mercantile goods needed by the Marshall continued to work in his Chinese miners. blacksmith shop and in the small gold mines he owned near Kelsey. He died at age 75 on AFRICAN AMERICAN SETTLERS August 10, 1885; his grave sits on the hillside According to the Gooch-Monroe oral above the town. In 1890 a monumental The Monroe family: William, Grant, Pearley, history, Peter and Nancy Gooch came statue — California’s first State Historic Andrew Jr. (top); Cordelia, James, Andrew Sr., to Coloma as slaves in 1849. In 1850 Monument — was commissioned and placed Sarah (middle); Garfield (bottom) California was admitted to the union as on the hill overlooking the gold discovery a free state, so Peter and Nancy gained site to mark the location of Marshall’s grave. was called Gum San — “Gold Mountain.” Chinese their freedom. Peter Gooch worked in workers, lured to California by a promised construction and at odd jobs, and Nancy CHINESE IMMIGRANTS golden mountain from which they could did domestic chores for the miners. By News of Marshall’s gold discovery spread literally carve out their fortune, were fleeing 1861 Nancy had saved enough money to throughout the world. In China, California years of war and poverty. Chinese miners at buy freedom for her son, Andrew Monroe, Coloma — thought to have numbered about 50 — were “A frenzy had seized my soul. . . piles of so efficient at finding gold rose up before me at every step; gold that other miners castles of marbel. . . complained of a thousands of “Chinese invasion.” slaves. . . myriads Hostilities among the of fair virgins. . . miners helped spark the Rothschilds, discriminatory taxes and Girards, and laws that were enforced Astors appeared only against “foreign” to me but poor immigrant miners. people.” Photo by Betty Sederquist The easy-to-find placer Diary of J.H. Living history participant The Wah Hop building — gold at Coloma played out Carson, 1852 at Gold Rush Live a Gold Rush-era Chinese store had been transferred to nearby Placerville. By then, However, when James Marshall spotted the Chinese were almost the only miners working shiny metal in the mill’s tailrace, he gave rise the gravel bars near the discovery site; Coloma again to California’s current culturally diverse and became a peaceful community with an economic technologically advanced population. base of agriculture and transportation. THE PARK HAD GOLD NOT BEEN DISCOVERED Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, California had been a pastoral backwater and created in 1942, encompasses most of the wilderness in 1848. Nine days after Marshall’s historic town of Coloma. With about 300 fateful discovery — at the conclusion of the Mexican- year-round residents in the Coloma area, American War — the had been the tree-lined streets of the park are usually granted this land as part of a treaty. Its non-Indian quiet, shady, and serene. Most visitors and population was about 14,000. At the time, only a few students come during spring, summer, and fall hundred overland pioneers had found ways to bring or for special events year-round, including the their wagon trains across the deserts and mountains annual January 24 celebration of Marshall’s to California. But that all changed with the discovery gold discovery. Cemetery and James Marshall’s cabin of gold. A number of historic buildings and who was still a slave in Missouri. Andrew Between 1848 and 1852, the world’s fascination sites — including the working blacksmith shop, brought his wife, Sarah, and their three children with California caused its population to grow to more the Price-Thomas and Papini homes, the to Coloma, where they became respected than 200,000. Few “Forty-Niners” intended to remain Mormon, James Marshall and Miner’s cabins, farmers. In the 1940s, the State purchased in California permanently — most had come to seek and the Indian bedrock mortar — remain to some of the Monroe landholdings from Andrew their fortune and then return home. But many sent remind us of that tumultuous period. One Monroe’s son, Pearley, which included the for their families and stayed, while others returned outstanding attraction of the park is the original site of Sutter’s Mill and the site of later to become permanent residents. full-sized replica of Sutter’s sawmill. The Marshall’s gold discovery — the foundation of Over the next 50 years, roughly 125 million ounces original, abandoned and torn down for its today’s park. The entire Gooch-Monroe family is of gold taken from the lumber, disappeared in the flood of buried in the park’s Pioneer Cemetery. hills had a critical effect 1862. The replica, looking much like on California’s early the original, was recently rebuilt near COLOMA, QuEEN OF THE MINES development. Had gold the discovery site. Some of the original In the wake of the hopeful gold seekers not been discovered, mill’s timbers, reclaimed from the river, came merchants, doctors, lawyers, gamblers, California’s climate, are displayed nearby. Gold panning ministers — purveyors of all services required resources, and location activities take place year-round. to supply a miner and relieve him of his might have been ignored THE GOLD DISCOVERY MuSEuM burdensome gold dust. From Coloma, the for a much longer time. AND OTHER ExHIBITS miners moved up the canyons and into the There would have been mountains. With each new strike, and as the little interest in building a Exhibits in the Gold Discovery placer gold gave out, Coloma declined in transcontinental railroad to Museum tell the story of John population. By 1857 the El Dorado County seat bind the nation together. Sutter and James Marshall, and how Cooking demonstration momentous discovery, his original mill site, PLEASE REMEMBER and points of interest. Visitors can walk under native California • Park, museum, and historic building hours and trees, as well as the Chinese tree of heaven, interpretive programs vary by season. Please check the current schedule at the museum/ black locust, Texas mesquite, southern visitor center or visit the park’s website. pecan, Osage orange, persimmon, and others • Call the park to arrange to have your wedding planted by homesick miners as reminders of in either of the park’s historic churches or on their former dwellings. the park’s grounds. ACCESSIBLE FEATuRES • There is no camping in the park, but the Coloma and Lotus communities have several Trails — The Levee Trail is generally private campgrounds and stores. accessible. The Gold Discovery Loop Trail • Recreational gold panning (with hands and pan is mostly level on hard-packed soil; some only), is allowed in designated areas. slopes may require assistance. • Help keep the park clean. The park has limited Picnicking — The North Beach group picnic trash facilities. Whatever you bring in, please area has accessible tables, with accessible take out with you. Photo by Ric Horner restrooms and parking nearby. The picnic • Stay on the trails — shortcuts destroy ground St. John’s church, built in 1856 tables near the Wah Hop Store and Man Lee cover and speed erosion. The river shoreline 1858 St. John’s Church exhibits may require assistance. has submerged obstacles and an uneven drastically the simple act of noticing a Exhibits — The accessible Gold Discovery bottom, and the water level and flow change small fleck of gold would alter the lives Museum has restrooms, self-guided exhibits, quickly and often. Diving and jumping from of hundreds of thousands of people from and an audio-visual theater. Video captioning rocks is not permitted. that day to the present. The museum is also available. Parking and restrooms are • Dogs must be on a leash and, except for also has Indian and Gold Rush-era accessible throughout the park. service animals, are not permitted in historic exhibits, including mining equipment, Accessibility is continually improving. For buildings, outside of developed areas, or horse-drawn vehicles, household updates, visit http://access.parks.ca.gov. on beaches. implements and other memorabilia, as • All natural and well as films about the gold discovery cultural features are and early mining techniques. Next door protected by law and to the museum are an outdoor mining may not be disturbed exhibit and two original buildings or removed. used by the Chinese. Throughout the • To guarantee access to the park, groups park, the exhibits show the various of ten or more must standards of living as Coloma make advance developed through time. The reservations. For Gold Discovery Loop Trail makes more information call it easy to visit the site of Marshall’s (866) 240-4655 or visit the website at www.parks.ca.gov/marshallgold. 1000'

960'

to 720' Auburn 920'

760'

880' 800'

840' 840' 880' Hand Launch Kelsey

840' 880' Marshall Gold Discovery North State Historic Park Beach P Levee Trail 880'

0 200 400 600 800 1000 Feet South

0 100 200 300 Meters

920' 49 Bus Parking Fork 960' P

1000'

Monroe Gold Orchard P Discovery Carve America Site 840' r Rd

Sutter’s Mill R n e c r Monroe Replica and e Trail a t i Monument on

a Ridge l (not a trail) 800' Gold Discover G Bayne Rd River o ld Loop T d hy R P rp a u rail n M Park t.

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t Maintenance e g e

p Coloma Resort

, u (Private) s

e c P GOLD DISCOVERY a u t Sutter’s Mill i o Native American n Timber Bedrock Mortar Display S TATE HISTORIC Wah Hop 760' Store Grange Man Lee Mining Exhibit PARK Mt. Murphy Rd Miner’s Cabin Bekeart Gun Shop Coloma Greys 1200' St Bridge Argonaut 1160' 1120' 1000' Post Office 1080' 1040' Weller Fire Road Monroe House P House P Gold Blacksmith Discovery Shop (not a trail) Beer Main Street Park Back Street Bell’s Monroe Museum Garden Trail Headquarters Store Ruins 760' Wagon Brewery Coloma Exhibit Street Schoolhouse Nature Jail Center P Ridge Ruins Papini House

I.O.O.F. Hall Trail Price-Thomas House

High Street Monument 49 Church Parking Lot Market P Church and High streets are not suitable for buses

or large vehicles. 800'

Williams Marshall’s House Cabin Church Street St. John’s 1160' Church James Marshall Emmanuel 49 Monument Church 1120' P to Placerville Catholic 1080' 1000’ Cemetery P Road narrows— (one way ) not suitable for 840' buses or large

vehicles. Cold Springs Road P Monument Picnic Area Monument Road

Pioneer Olde Coloma Cemetery Theatre

880' P 1276 ft 1240'

1000'

1040' 1200'

Legend 920' C

1160' 1080' o

l d

This park receives support in part through Paved Road Gate S p 1120' r i Group Picnic Area n Unpaved Road g a nonprofit organization. For more s 1120' 960' R Trail: Hike Park Building oad 1080' information contact: P Parking Trail: Accessible 1040' Gold Discovery Park Association Picnic Area 1000' 1160' Accessible Feature 1000' P.O. Box 461, Coloma, CA 95613 Restrooms Hand Launch (530) 622-6198 • www.marshallgold.com Crosswalk Viewpoint © 2003 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) 1040'

1200'