On Jan. 24, 1848, gold was discovered on the American River. James Marshall, the first to find it, never made a fortune from it.
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By KURT SNIBBE
James Marshall’s discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848 began the California Gold Rush. But the man who put so much into motion in California never got rich and had his share of bad luck.
In 1846, Marshall already had made a bit of history before finding gold when he joined John C. Fremont’s California Battalion and participated in the Bear Flag Revolt.
When Marshall returned to his land in the Sacramento Valley, he found his cattle had been stolen and he was forced to sell his land. He formed a partnership with John Sutter to build a sawmill, where on Jan. 24, 1848, he discovered gold.
The news spread quickly and soon 80,000 miners flooded the area. Marshall failed to secure his claims in the goldfields and the sawmill also failed, as every employee took off in search of gold.
Marshall left Coloma, searching California for another strike. He returned in 1857 and planted a vineyard in the early 1860s. He had some success with his vines until competition put him out of business.
Marshall retried prospecting but the jackpot eluded him.
In 1872, Marshall had some good fortune when the state legislature awarded him a two-year pension in recognition of his part in California history. The pension was renewed twice but lapsed in 1878. Allegedly when he went to visit the Legislative assembly to get it renewed, a brandy bottle dropped from his |pocket and they decided against him.
Marshall lived in a cabin in Kelsey, making money as a carpenter, blacksmith and farmer until he died Aug. 10, 1885. He was buried in Coloma and in 1890 a bronze statue of Marshall, pointing to the spot where he changed California history was placed.