On a hilltop in the little town of Coloma, less than an hour’s drive from Sacramento, stands the statue of James Marshall pointing to the spot where he discovered gold on January 24, 1848, which sparked the great California Gold Rush.
The Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, which includes 70 percent of Coloma, is one of the best places in the USA to learn about early California history.
How it All Began
John Sutter needed lumber for his expanding agricultural operation in the Sacramento Valley, so he made an arrangement with James Marshall to build a sawmill on the south fork of the American River in the Sierra foothills. It was while inspecting construction progress on the tailrace that Marshall found the nuggets which changed the course of Western history.
Because of its historical significance, a full size replica of Sutter’s Mill is one of the park’s most prominent displays. The mill’s water wheel is attached to a large saw of the kind used in the old days to convert logs to finished boards. The mill is electrically powered now and demonstrations of how it worked are given on weekends.
Gold Rush Days Exhibits
Located throughout the park are exhibits of the Gold Rush days. A self-guiding trail goes past Chilean and Mexican arrastres (rock grinders) and two stamp mills – all devices for crushing the ore. An exhibit of how ore crushers operated, as well as techniques in hard-rock and placer mining are located in one of the buildings along the trail.
The Wah Hop Store
One of the most intriguing buildings is the Wah Hop Store. Leased to its Chinese proprietor in 1860, the windowless-dirt-floored brick building is stocked with merchandise of the kind bought by Coloma’s Oriental population – coolie type clothing, tin boxes of tea, enamel pitchers, earthenware bowls. An artificial pig and brace of fowl hang from the rafters. Crude stools and a table set with dishes, the abacus on a nearby shelf and other authentic touches give visitors the feeling that Wah Hop has just stepped out and will be back at any moment.
You can picnic at Gold Discovery Park under black locust, persimmon, catalpa and other trees planted by homesick miners as reminders of their former communities. There are also a number of restaurants in the area. If there are children in your group, buy a couple of miners’ pans, so you can try your luck panning for gold.
Also on the park grounds are a miner’s cabin with its meager furnishings, an old stone jail, two pioneer churches, Marshall’s cabin and Thomas House, a more substantial dwelling of the day.
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