
Modern reconstruction.
'Sutter's Mill' was a
sawmill owned by
19th century pioneer
John Sutter. It was located in
Coloma, California at the bank of the
American River. Sutter's Mill is most famous for its association with the
California Gold Rush. It was here that an employee of Sutter's,
James Marshall, on
January 25,
1848, found several flakes of gold that would begin the transformation of
California from a sleepy outpost to a bustling center of activity
[1]. It brought people from many different cultures to the "Golden" state. The first document on the discovery of the gold was in Henry Bigler's diary. He and several other people working at the mill were discharged veterans of the
Mormon Battalion. Sutter's Mill was also used during the Bear Flag Revolt
The site of the mill is located in
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and is registered as
California Historical Landmark #530.
Sutter's Mill is a copy of the original building and looks much like it. It was built with Marshall's own drawings and an early day photo as reference for the recreation of the mill.
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.