Coloma in El Dorado County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Chile Mill

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 21, 2023

1. Chile Mill Marker

Inscription. Soon after gold was discovered in California, many experienced gold miners came to California from Chile in 1848 and 1849. They introduced the Chilean wheel, which crushed ore beneath heavy round stones.

This mill was identical in design to mills used in Palestine during biblical times for crushing olives, and was familiar to European gold miners as early as the 16th century.

Chilean wheels were used in Chile, Peru, Mexico, etc. This was part of the Mexican patio process for extracting silver and gold.

Inset Images:
Gold Rush miners soon adapted the simple stone mill to process more ore, using waterpower and machinery in larger arrays with several stones.

Stone mills were used widely at the Franciscan Missions or haciendas in early California to crush olives and grapes.

The Chile Mill was no more efficient than the Arrastre and few were used.

Old stone olive crushing mill: San Fernando Mission ruin, 1898

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Erected by Calfifornia Department of Parks & Recreation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.

Location. 38° 48.048′ N, 120° 53.513′

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W. Marker is in Coloma, California, in El Dorado County. It is on Coloma Road (California Route 49) north of Mt Murphy Road when traveling north. The resin marker is mounted to a metal stand on the Gold Discovery Loop Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Coloma CA 95613, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Sacramento Metro,

in the Sierra Nevada,

and in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Miner’s Cabin (a few steps from this marker); Arrastre (a few steps from this marker); Placer Mining at Coloma (a few steps from this marker); Hydraulic Mining (within shouting distance of this marker); Ft. Ross Cannon (within shouting distance of this marker); The Diggins (within shouting distance of this marker); Crescent City Hotel and Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of Wintermantel's Miner's Hotel (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. Chile Mill Marker

Mill stones can be seen behind the maker.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 30, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 497 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 30, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.