Folsom in Sacramento County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Black Miners

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer

1. Black Miners Marker

Captions: (middle) 1852 Auburn Ravine; (right) 1852 Spanish Flat.

Inscription. In 1849, when Black miners discovered gold at Negro Bar, a battle raged at the California Constitutional Convention over whether California would enter the Union as a "free" or "slave" state. After much debate, California eventually entered as a free state with the Compromise of 1850. Despite entering as a free state, slavery persisted in California in the early years of statehood, enabled by the State's own fugitive slave law passed in 1852.
After gold discovery, additional black communities were established in towns upriver, including Mormon Island, Negro Hill, Massachusetts Flat, and Coloma. Despite the racially charged climate in California, by 1852 approximately 2,000 free Black people made the state their home.
Darius King opened an Express Office and bookstore in June 1854 at Mormon Island, providing a daily courier service between Sacramento, historic Negro Bar and Mormon Island. Several other Black individuals opened additional businesses and built homes at nearby Negro Hill and Massachusetts Flat.
In 1870, the local Folsom newspaper noted that three well-known Black residents, William Boswell, Harry Gibson,

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and Milton Rose participated in the city's July 4th celebrations to commemorate the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

Erected by California State Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: African Americans.

Location. 38° 40.643′ N, 121° 11.446′ W. Marker is in Folsom, California, in Sacramento County. It can be reached from Black Miners Bar Road (aka Park Road) near Greenback Lane. The marker is located near the west end of Black Miners Bar, within Folsom Lake State Recreation Area,. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Folsom CA 95630, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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

in Sacramento Valley,

and specifically in the Central Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

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

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer

2. Black Miners Marker

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rancho Rio de los Americanos (within shouting distance of this marker); Chinese Immigrants (within shouting distance of this marker); The First Peoples (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Rancho Rio de los Americanos (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Young Wo Memorial Site (approx. half a mile away); Folsom Terminal (approx. 0.6 miles away); Leidesdorff Plaza (approx. 0.6 miles away); W.L. Perkins Warehouse (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Folsom.

Also see . . . African Americans in the California Gold Rush -- Black Past. At least 4,000 African Americans were among those who would arrive in California by 1860 in search of gold and more generally, prosperity and freedom. (Submitted on October 23, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 310 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 23, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.