Sutter's Mill — Coloma
Coloma, El Dorado County, California
Marker Inscription
Here, January 24, 1848, James Marshall found gold in the tailrace of Sutter's sawmill, touching off the California Gold Rush.
Erected by California State Parks
The Story
Marshall's discovery drew some 300,000 'forty-niners' to California within a few years, reshaping the West, accelerating statehood, and devastating Native communities.
Why it matters
A few flakes of gold here triggered the largest mass migration in American history and remade the nation's western edge.
Related people
- · James Marshall
- · John Sutter
Related events
- · California Gold Rush
Themes & tags
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