Coloma in El Dorado County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Moment of Discovery
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado
1. The Moment of Discovery Marker
No Quiet Secret
Only a handful of people knew about James Marshall’s gold discovery on January 24, 1848. However, the news was too big to keep secret. Soon people around the world were talking about California gold!
Mill worker Henry Bigler recorded the moment of discovery in his diary. The first written records of the gold discovery came from Bigler and other workers’ journals.
Sensational News
If you found gold, would you be able to keep quiet? The sawmill workers whispered about the discovery, until reports reached Sutter’s Fort and San Francisco. From there, stories of the gold spread like wildfire. Passengers on ships carried the news to distant ports in Mexico, Chile, Hawaii, Australia, China, and Europe. Newspapers shouted the discovery from their headlines, and soon everyone had gold fever!
Truth or Rumor?
Exaggerated report, sensational headline, and tales too good to be true circulated about Marshall’s discovery. Many Americans did not know if the reports were fact or fiction. President James Polk finally publicly confirmed
this page online
- Henry W. Bigler, 1848
Erected by California Department of Parks & Recreation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is January 24, 1848.
Location. 38° 48.235′ N, 120° 53.576′ W. Marker is in Coloma, California, in El Dorado County. Marker can be reached from Coloma Road (California Route 49) north of Mt Murphy Road. The resin marker is mounted to a stone masonry wall near the mill replica. It is to the left of a boulder incorporated into the stone wall. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Coloma CA 95613, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Unstoppable News (a few steps from this marker); A Doomed Endeavor (within shouting distance of this marker); Gold to be Found (within shouting distance of this marker); Cutting Edge (within shouting distance of this marker); Uncovering History (within shouting distance of this marker); The Spirit of the Gold Rush (within shouting distance of this marker); Sutter’s Mill Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Trees, River, Access (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Coloma.
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, January 21, 2023
2. The Moment of Discovery Marker
The inscription on the boulder reads:
“This day some kind of mettle was found
in the tail race that looks like goald.”
Henry W. Bigler, 1846
in the tail race that looks like goald.”
Henry W. Bigler, 1846
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 78 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 28, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
