The California Gold Rush

1846-1851

In January, 1849. James Marshall was in charge of a team building a saw mill near a local river

in Sacramento. It was here that James Marshall found a few small nuggets of gold,

which began the California gold Rush.

Sutter’s Mill, where gold was first discovered.

Marshall did not tell anyone he found the gold. He was afraid that it was a mineral called

Blotite, fools gold, and he did not want to get his hopes up. After testing the rock with acid,

he discovered it was almost pure gold.

Marshall’s find was a secret, but it was eventually printed in a local newspaper after

some neighborhood children told their schoolmates. Soon afterwards gold was found in large rivers in California such as the Feather

River and the Trinity River

Soon people from all around the country

were flooding in to San Francisco in hopes of finding gold. People

quit their jobs and left their small quaint

towns. They wanted to get rich fast!

It is estimated that around 30,000 people traveled across the country on horseback and

wagons to get to California.

In April of 1849 San Francisco had only 79 buildings; by December of that same year

population had grown to over 40,000 people.

Many people did not want to stay in California forever. They thought they would get rich

quickly and return home.

“"I have left those that I love as my own life behind and risked everything and endured many hardships to get here. I want to make

enough to live easier and do some good with, before I return.“ – S. Shufelt

Many people lived by the rivers they were mining while in California. They would pitch

tents and soon there were many large villages (and holes) along the riverbed.

Many miners would build cabins together that they would share.

Because the living conditions were so horrible (remember they did not have toilets or

showers at this time!) and there was so many people congested into one area, disease

spread quickly.

"Many, very many, that come here meet with bad success & thousands will leave their bones here. Others will lose their health,

contract diseases that they will carry to their graves with them. Some will have to beg their

way home, & probably one half that come here will never make enough to carry them

back.”

San Francisco Changes

There is a good deal of sin & wickedness going on here, Stealing, lying, Swearing, Drinking, Gambling &

murdering. There is a great deal of gambling carried on here. Almost every public House is a place for

Gambling, & this appears to be the greatest evil that prevails here. Men make & lose thousands in a night, &

frequently small boys will go up & bet $5 or 10 (Equivalent to $115-$225 today) -- & if they lose all, go the next day & dig more. We are trying to get laws here

to regulate things but it will be very difficult to get them executed."

Gold WAS found!In 1853, the placers at Columbia, Tuolomne County,

began to yield vast amounts of gold. This continued until the early 1860s. At that time, Columbia was one

of the largest cities in the state.

In 1854, a 195-pound mass of gold, the largest known to have been discovered in California, was found at

Carson Hill in Calaveras County.

In 1859, the famous 54-pound Willard nugget was found at Magalia in Butte County.

By 1864, California's gold rush had ended. The rich surface and river placers were largely

exhausted

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