Adventure 051, Site 181 – Sutter's Mill

 Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 181 – Sutter's Mill

California Landmark Number: 530

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  June 29, 2012

Location:

Latitude: 38° 48.209′ N

Longitude: 120° 53.537′ W

Address: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park

Description:

We all know that James Marshall discovered gold along the South Fork of the American River in 1849 while constructing Sutter's Mill. But sometimes it is good to come back and think about how different life would have been if gold had not been discovered. That is the opportunity which Thing One and Thing Two had when they did Adventure 52 at this historic place.

NO. 530 GOLD DISCOVERY SITE - This monument marks the site of John A. Sutter's sawmill. In its tail-race, on January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold and started great rush of Argonauts to California. The Society of California Pioneers definitely located and marked the site in 1924 - additional timbers and relics, including the original tailrace unearthed in 1947, were discovered after the property became a state park. The State erected the Marshall Monument overlooking this spot in 1890 through efforts begun in 1886 by the Native Sons of the Golden West.
Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, follow trail from Gold Discovery parking lot to American River, State Hwy 49 (P.M. 23.3), Coloma



Inscription as found on HMDB:
This rock monument marks site of John A. Sutter's saw mill in the tailrace of which James W. Marshall discovered gold, January 24, 1848, starting the great rush of argonauts to California. The Society of California Pioneers definitely located and marked site in 1924. Additional timbers and relics, including original tailrace unearthed in 1947, were discovered after property became state park. Marshall Monument overlooking this spot was erected following movement inaugurated in 1886 by Native Sons of the Golden West.

Tablet placed by Historic Landmarks Committees Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West January 24, 1948 on centennial of gold discovery.



References:

• Wikipedia
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB.org) – Timbers from original mill and its replica
  
• Waymarking
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• Wikipedia: California's National Landmarks (WCNL)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB)
  
• WayMarking (WAY)
  

Adventure: 051, Site 008 – Marshall Monument

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 008 – Marshall Monument

California Landmark Number: 143

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  June 29, 2012

Location:

Address: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma

Description:

Date Built: 1887

For more on this adventure, see our previous adventure: Adventure 008, Hike 028 – Marshall Monument

NO. 143 MARSHALL MONUMENT - In 1887 the State of California purchased the site for a monument to commemorate James Marshall, who in 1848 discovered gold near Coloma. Marshall's discovery started the 'gold rush,' that westward trek of Argonauts that marked a turning point in California history. The figure of Marshall atop the monument is pointing to the place of discovery on the South Fork of the American River.
Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma



References:

• Wikipedia on James Marshall
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• Wikipedia: California's National Landmarks (WCNL)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)
  

Adventure 098 - Gold Panning

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 098 – Gold Panning

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  June 29, 2012

Location: James Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park

Description:
So how hard can gold panning be? You just grab some river bottom, putting it into a pan. Then swish around some water and Eureka! You found gold. James Marshall did not even need a pan to find his gold. Right? Well evidently you need a little more skill than that. As we came up empty, but rich in a better understanding of the impact and experience of the 1840's and 50's. We also found out the meanings of placer (to pan for gold) and lode (to dig or mine for gold). (Are we glad we do not need to pan for gold for a living today!)

According to the Highway 49 web site, how you really pan for gold is as follows:

You will need a gold pan, a 12 or 15 inch steel pan is preferred. Darken the pan by placing it over a burner or in a campfire. This will make the flakes of gold more noticible. • Look for gravel bars in the middle of • rivers or streams • Look for gravel bars around heavy • water runoff • On the downstream side of large boulders or tree roots in streams • In cracks above the water-line, along the edge of the stream • In streaks of gravel that settle above • streambeds and follow the • bottom of stream channels

Place your pan under water, keeping the pan under water at all times, filling the pan nearly full. Throw away the large stones and break up lumps of mud and clay. Hold the pan level with both hands and rotate the pan with swirling motions. As you rotate the pan the heavier gold loosens from the sand, gravel and settles to the bottom. Tilt the pan downward to let the dirty water, sand and gravel wash over the edge of the pan. Continue to raise and lower the lip of the pan so the water will flow over it and remove more of the lighter material. Continue this process until nothing but gold and heavier minerals are left in the pan Carefully inspect the black sand for nuggets or tiny specks of gold or other precious minerals.