"On Jan. 24, 1848, gold was discovered on the American River. James Marshall, the first to find it, never made a fortune from it. On May 12, a pioneer named Sam Brannon ran through the streets of San Francisco shouting, Gold, gold from the American River! This ignited the gold fever that changed the course of the area. The area's population doubled in a few short years and California became the 31st state by Sept. 9, 1850."
"Sutter was a Swiss immigrant who spoke English, French and Spanish. He traveled the world before coming to California and became a Mexican citizen while establishing the fort. Construction began on August 1839 and Sutter named his land New Helvetia, or New Switzerland, after his homeland. When the settlement was completed on June 18, 1841, he received title to 48,827 acres on the Sacramento River."
On Jan. 24, 1848, James Marshall discovered gold on the American River while building a sawmill for John Sutter at Coloma. Marshall never profited from the find. Sam Brannon publicly announced the discovery on May 12, 1848, sparking gold fever and mass migration to the region. The area's population doubled within a few years and California achieved statehood on Sept. 9, 1850. John Sutter established New Helvetia on 48,827 acres and had envisioned an agricultural settlement. Sutter employed or enslaved Native Americans and Europeans, and miners overran and destroyed much of the settlement, preventing both men from capitalizing on the discovery.
Read at www.ocregister.com
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