Coloma in El Dorado County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Chance Discovery Leads To Change
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 21, 2023
1. Chance Discovery Leads To Change Marker
It took one small nugget to change the whole country.
On January 24, 1848, James Marshall found a few bits of gold less than an ounce in the tailrace of John Sutters sawmill along the American River. This wasnt the first time gold had been found in California, but the time was right for change. The discovery would transform the West and the country. In a few short years, California grew from a remote destination into a golden state where fortunes could be made.
And you are where it all started.
Panel Two:
Fortune in Sight
Gold captured the imagination in 1848 just as it does today. From the discovery of those small sparkling gold nuggets in the tailrace, news of gold circled the globe in just a few short months. The California Gold Rush was on!
At Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, you can visit the spot where Marshall found gold. Share in the excitement of gold fever. Reflect upon the changes the gold rush had on the landscape and its effect upon the Native Americans of the valley.
In a very short time we discovered that the whole country was but one bed of gold.
- James Marshall
Erected by California Department of Parks & Recreation.
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Location. 38° 48.021′ N, 120° 53.52′ W. Marker is in Coloma, California, in El Dorado County. It is at the intersection of Bridge Street and Back Street, on the right when traveling west on Bridge Street. The resin marker is mounted to a stone masonry wall outside the park visitor center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 310 Back Street, 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 Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The World Rushed In (here, next to this marker); Coloma (here, next to this marker); Placer Mining at Coloma (within shouting distance of this marker); The Diggins (within shouting distance of this marker); Miners Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); Hydraulic Mining (within shouting distance of this marker); Arrastre (within shouting distance of this marker); Chile Mill (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Coloma.
Additional keywords. Gold Rush
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 21, 2023
2. Fortune in Sight Marker
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 21, 2023
3. Chance Discovery Leads To Change Marker
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 21, 2023
4. Fortune in Sight Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 5, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 137 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 5, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
