
What is Sutter's mill known for?
Sutter's Mill was a water-powered sawmill on the bank of the South Fork American River in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. It was named after its owner John Sutter. A worker constructing the mill, James W. Marshall, found gold there in 1848.
Where is Sutter's mill National Park?
The park is located in Coloma, California, about 140 miles and three hours west from San Francisco. It celebrates the actually 1848, not 1849, discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on the aptly named American River by James W. Marshall. He was just there to build a sawmill, in partnership with John Sutter,...
What happened at Sutter’s Mill?
Sutter’s Mill on the American River near Coloma, the early months of 1848. California was about to erupt with gold fever. The basic story is rather well known. John Sutter was a pioneering businessman in Sacramento who had land holdings on the American River nearby.
What year was the discovery of gold at Sutter's mill?
It celebrates the actually 1848, not 1849, discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on the aptly named American River by James W. Marshall. He was just there to build a sawmill, in partnership with John Sutter, but when he saw some tiny gold flecks in the river, it changed everything.

Where was the original Sutter's Mill?
Sutter's Mill was a water-powered sawmill on the bank of the South Fork American River in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California. It was named after its owner John Sutter. A worker constructing the mill, James W. Marshall, found gold there in 1848....Sutter's MillDesignatedMarch 7, 1955Reference no.5308 more rows
Is Sutter's Mill in San Francisco?
The California gold rush and Sutter's Mill is part of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. The park is located in Coloma, California, about 140 miles and three hours west from San Francisco.
Where is Sutter's Mill replica?
Coloma, CaliforniaPoint of Historic Interest in Coloma, California: Sutter Mill Replica. This replica of Sutter's Mill was based on research from many sources - a drawing by James Marshall, an old photograph of the mill, and the results of several excavations made on the original mill site.
Can you still find gold at Sutter's Mill?
24 is the anniversary of the discovery of gold by James Marshall at Johann Sutter's mill in 1848. Once word about Marshall's findings got out, California became known around the world. There might not be such a rush today, but there's still gold in them thar hills and people working hard to find it.
Was Sutter's Mill in Sacramento?
gold rush. The best-known strike occurred at Sutter's Mill, near the Sacramento River in California, in 1848. On January 24 of that year, while John Sutter was having a sawmill built, his carpenter, James W. Marshall, found gold.
Why did Sutter come to California?
Sutter spent much of his early life in Switzerland; he was a Swiss citizen and served in the Swiss army. Fleeing from bankruptcy and financial failures and leaving his wife and children in Switzerland, he reached California in 1839 and persuaded the Mexican governor to grant him lands on the Sacramento River.
Who found gold at Sutter's Mill?
James W. MarshallThe gold discovery site, located in the still visible tailrace of Sutter's sawmill in present day Coloma, California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation. In 1848, James W. Marshall found shining flecks of gold in the tailrace of the sawmill he was building in partnership with John Sutter.
Where was the first piece of gold found?
Sutter's MillSmithsonian's National Museum of American History. This small piece of yellow metal is believed to be the first piece of gold discovered in 1848 at Sutter's Mill in California, launching the gold rush.
Where was gold originally discovered in California?
ColomaGold! On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold on the property of Johann A. Sutter near Coloma, California.
How much gold is left in California?
Eventually, hard-rock mining wound up becoming the single largest source of gold produced in the Gold Country. The total production of gold in California from then till now is estimated at 118 million ounces (3700 t).
Is there still gold left in California?
Gold can still be found all over California. The most gold-rich areas are in Northern California and the Sierra Nevada mountains. While the commercial mining of gold has nearly disappeared since the peak of the gold rush, tourists and residents are still on the hunt for this elusive precious metal.
What happens if you find gold in California?
In California, there is a law mandating that any found property valued over $100 be turned over to police. Authorities must then wait 90 days, advertise the lost property for a week, and finally release it to the person who found it if no one could prove ownership.
Why is Sutter's Mill famous?
Why is Sutter's Mill an important place in the history of the United States? The cotton gin was invented there. It was the first lumber mill that was powered by water. Gold was found there, which led to the Gold Rush of 1849.
What is the current location of Sutter's Fort where gold was first discovered in California?
The gold discovery site, located in the still visible tailrace of Sutter's sawmill in present day Coloma, California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation.
What city boomed as a result of the gold rush?
San FranciscoIn 1848, San Francisco was a town of 1,000 people, mostly Mexican American and white merchants. By 1849, the first year of the California Gold Rush, the city boomed to 25,000 people from the eastern United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.
What river is Sutter's Mill on?
Sutter's Mill, American River (submerged), Coloma, El Dorado County, CA | Library of Congress.
Why was Sutter's Fort abandoned?
Shortly after the discovery of gold upriver, Sutter’s Fort was abandoned. Sutter’s employees had arrived in California as members of the Mormon Battalion, who were originally sent to California to defend settlers agains Indian attacks.
What did Sutter do in California?
Sutter became a supporter of the California Republic until the United States annexed California in 1847 and he set about planning a farming and construction empire. That all changed when gold was discovered on his land.
What was Sutter's initial fear of the discovery of gold upriver?
Sutter’s initial fears that the find would ruin his business plans were already being realised. His workers had gone. His lands would soon be invaded by squatters who would help themselves to his crops and livestock. Shortly after the discovery of gold upriver, Sutter’s Fort was abandoned.
Where did John Sutter conduct business?
The Fortunes of John Sutter. John Sutter conducted business out of his complex known as Sutter’s Fort, located in what is now urban Sacramento. It was there that on 28 January 1848 Sutter and Marshall conferred on the discovery of the gold.
Where is Marshall Gold Discovery?
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is located on Highway 49 in Coloma. The mill that stands today is a replica of the original building. Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is located in mid-town Sacramento between K and L Streets and 26th and 28th Streets.
Where was Sutter's Mill?
Sutter’s Mill on the American River near Coloma, the early months of 1848. California was about to erupt with gold fever. The basic story is rather well known. John Sutter was a pioneering businessman in Sacramento who had land holdings on the American River nearby.
Where was the first gold fever?
The first site of real gold fever on the American River was a short way downstream of Sutter’s Mill, at a site known as Mormon’s Island. John Sutter had been raised in Switzerland and emigrated to America in 1834. After five years of travelling the continent and getting as far as Hawaii, he settled in Sacramento.
How many people did the Coloma earthquake affect?
Not only did it swell the city of Coloma to ten thousand people, it impacted the large gateway city of San Francisco one hundred and forty miles away. The city grew to twenty-five thousand residents, twenty-five times its former size, in less than two years.
How to see the gold rush?
1. Take a walk around the park and see the restored mill, plus twenty other historic buildings from the site where the Gold Rush began. 2. Start your tour in the Gold Discovery Museum and Visitor Center and look at the exhibits that tell the story of the men who panned for gold. 3.
How many people went to California for gold in 1849?
An estimated eighty thousand would pass through the city going for gold in 1849 alone. The California Gold Ranch Expands - Although Sutter's Mill is the best known, and first, of the sites and area where prospectors looked for California gold, other locations swelled in size with prospectors, including the Northern California towns ...
How many people live in the Gold Rush?
Begin your visit at the Gold Rush Museum and Visitor Center, take a guided walk, then walk around the site and town (200 residents still live there). There are twenty historic buildings, plus the mill (below current) and monument to James Marshall.
Why was Sutter's Mill important?
We say we're surprised, in many ways, because of the importance of Sutter's Mill, not only to northern California, San Francisco, the Gold Rush, and more, but to the spur that discovery had on western migration. It brought miners, yes, to California, and Alaska. It brought folks looking to gain their fortune in ancillary services for those miners, ...
Where is Sutter's Mill?
The California gold rush and Sutter's Mill is part of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. The park is located in Coloma, California, about 140 miles and three hours west from San Francisco. It celebrates the actually 1848, not 1849, discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on the aptly named American River by James W. Marshall.
Who worked for John Sutter?
One Man Who Worked for Sutter. In 1841, John Bidwell took the first major wagon train from Missouri to California. Little did he know that working for John Sutter as his business manager after arrival would lead him to gold. Find out more about his wagon train story.
What We Provide
Unlike many other companies, we are involved in every step of the process. From sourcing, quality control, production, and sales, we apply our rigorous standards at every stage to ensure the custom products you receive are of superior quality.
Who We Are
Sutter’s Mill Specialties was established in 1986 with two guiding principles – to produce promotional gifts and advertising products of the absolute highest quality, and to distribute them efficiently with superior customer service.
Welcome to Sutter's Mill
Stop by and try our famous wings, which have received multiple "Best Wings" awards at the local Wing Fest, or our thick sirloin burgers, which have been rated one of the top burgers in the county by the Journal News.
The Big Game
Don’t forget to order your food for the big game! IMPORTANT NOTE FOR 2022: PLEASE ORDER AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, WE ARE ONLY DOING WINGS TO-GO FOR THE GAME
What to do if you are sick at the state park?
Plan Ahead – Some restrooms will be temporarily closed to keep up with cleaning schedules. Bring soap/hand sanitizer. Play It Safe – Find out what precautions you should take when exploring the outdoors, especially if this is your first time visiting the State Park System.
How long is Highway 49 in Coloma?
Continue on Highway 49 for approximately 13 miles. Highway 49 runs through the middle of Coloma. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Although small amounts of gold had been found in other parts of California, it was the gold discovery at Sutter’s mill that received world-wide attention in 1848.
Where was gold discovered?
James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River in the valley the Nisenan Indians knew as Cullumah (beautiful valley). This event led to the greatest mass movement of people in the Western Hemisphere and was the spark that ignited the spectacular growth of the West during the ensuing decades.
Where is the park in Coloma?
The park is located in Coloma, California on Highway 49 between Placerville and Auburn. From US Highway 50 traveling East: Take the Ponderosa exit, turn left on South Shingle, take a right on North Shingle. Continue on North Shingle for 10 miles (North Shingle will turn into Green Valley Road, then Lotus Road).
Where is the gold found?
The gold discovery site, located in the still visible tailrace of Sutter's sawmill in present day Coloma, California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation. In 1848, James W. Marshall found shining flecks of gold in the tailrace of the sawmill he was building in partnership with John Sutter.
Where to visit Marshall Gold Discovery?
The best place to start your tour of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is at the visitor center and museum. Interpretive exhibits and programs tell the story of the gold discovery and make it come alive. Information about and a map of the park can be found in the visitor center.#N#About seventy percent of the town of Coloma is included in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and therefore subject to use fees. Since there are only about two hundred year-round residents in the town, the tree-lined streets of the park are memorably quiet and serene throughout much of the year.#N#The park features buildings that have survived from the gold rush, as well as many other reminders of that tumultuous period. The Gold Discovery Museum features gold-rush-era exhibits as well as exhibits on the Native Americans, the people of many cultures who came to California during the gold rush, and the agricultural history of the area. A number of films about the gold discovery and early mining techniques are also available upon request.
Is Coloma in Marshall Gold?
About seventy percent of the town of Coloma is included in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and therefore subject to use fees. Since there are only about two hundred year-round residents in the town, the tree-lined streets of the park are memorably quiet and serene throughout much of the year.
