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.
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.
How did the discovery of gold at Sutter's mill change California?
The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill caused a large mass of migration to California. After the finding of gold California changed dramatically, going from 14,000 non-natives to an estimated 85,000 newcomers to California in just a year.
How did the Sutter's mill Meteor get its name?
On April 22, 2012 a meteor entered the Earth's atmosphere and exploded, showering meteorite fragments over parts of California and Nevada. The first samples of this meteorite fall were recovered close to Sutter's Mill, so it was named the Sutter's Mill meteorite.
What was Sutter's Mill and why was it important?
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.
Why was Sutter's Mill important in the 1800s?
Discovery at Sutter's Mill Did you know? Miners extracted more than 750,000 pounds of gold during the California Gold Rush. Days after Marshall's discovery at Sutter's Mill, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ending the Mexican-American War and leaving California in the hands of the United States.
Where was Sutter's Mill?
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.
Why was Sutter's fort important?
The fort was the first non-indigenous community in the California Central Valley. The fort is famous for its association with the Donner Party, the California Gold Rush, and the formation of the city of Sacramento, surrounding the fort.
Who was John Sutter and why is he important to California?
John Sutter was a ambitious man who wanted to carve out his personal kingdom in the California wilds of the Sacramento Valley. He amassed an enormous fortune and acquired vast acres of land in the Valley and he almost achieved his goal except for one historical event that spoiled his plans — the California gold rush.
Why was San Francisco important during the gold rush?
People flocked to California from all over the world to seek their fortune. Almost overnight, the gold rush transformed San Francisco into a booming city filled with makeshift tent-houses, hotels, stores, saloons, gambling halls, and shanties.
Why was 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 mountains in California. It was named after its owner John Sutter....Sutter's MillOfficial nameGold discovery siteDesignatedMarch 7, 1955Reference no.5307 more rows
What happened at Sutter's Mill?
In 1849, workers at Sutter's Mill in California discovered gold in the river, sparking the California Gold Rush and causing one of the major migrations in U.S. history. The original building fell into ruin and a memorial was eventually built using stone remains. Sutter's Mill is a part of Gold Discovery State Park.
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 was gold first discovered in California?
ColomaGold! On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold on the property of Johann A. Sutter near Coloma, California.
Who lived in Sutter's fort?
Employing members of the Miwok, Maidu, and Kanakas tribes, the fort included 18-foot walls that surrounded shops, houses, mills, and craftsmen. Surrounding the fort the land was filled with crops such as grapes and wheat, along with vast herds of cattle.
What was Sutter's fort made of?
adobe bricksIn 1841 John Sutter (1803–1880) established a fort in California's Sacramento Valley as the trade and commercial center of his New Helvetia colony. It contained a central building constructed of adobe bricks, surrounded by a high wall with bastions on opposite corners to guard against attack.
Overview
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. This discovery set off the California Gold Rush (1848–1855), a major event in the history of the United States.
History
The territory of Alta California, which includes modern-day California, was settled by the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1683 onwards. It became part of an independent Mexico in 1821. John Sutter, a German-Swiss settler, arrived in the region in 1839. He established a colony at New Helvetia (now part of Sacramento), in the Central Valley. The United States conquered the region during the Mexic…
Current status
The site of the mill is part of the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, registered as California Historical Landmark number 530. The current Sutter's Mill is a replica of the original building. It was built in 1967 based on Marshall's own drawings and a photograph of the mill taken in 1850.
Meteorite
On April 22, 2012 a meteor entered the Earth's atmosphere and exploded, showering meteorite fragments over parts of California and Nevada. The first samples of this meteorite fall were recovered close to Sutter's Mill, so it was named the Sutter's Mill meteorite. Several dozen fragments were eventually identified, with a total weight of about a kilogram. The meteorite is classified as a carbonaceous chondrite and contains some of the oldest known material in the S…
In popular culture
The mill was the namesake and inspiration for a song by singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg. The mill was also the namesake for a song by the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and for Herb Sutter's blog. In Beverly Cleary's novel Mitch and Amy, the protagonists build a model of Sutter's Mill out of toothpicks. Sutter's Mill is referenced heavily in an episode of Little House on the Prairie titled At the End of the Rainbow, in which Laura Ingalls Wilder and a friend believe they have found gold in …
See also
• Sutter's Fort
• California gold coinage
External links
• Discovery of Gold, by John A. Sutter, Hutchings’ California Magazine, November 1857. Sutter describes how he wanted a sawmill near the Sacramento and how Marshall told him of the gold.
• Early photographs, illustrations, and textual references to Sutter's Mill, via Calisphere, California Digital Library.