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| Landmark #143 | El Dorado County | Visited: April 5, 2015 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | An epic carved monument dedicated to James Marshall! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: In 1887 the State of California purchased the site for a monument to commemorate James Marshall, who in 1848 discovered gold near Coloma. Marshall’s discovery started the “gold rush,” that westward trek of Argonauts that marked a turning point in California history. The figure of Marshall atop the monument is pointing to the place of discovery on the South Fork of the American River.
OTHER TIDBITS: James Marshall came west from Missouri in 1844 for his health and arrived in California in June 1845. His skills at carpentry were very valuable at Sutter’s Fort, and he became well acquainted with John Sutter, who tasked him with supervising the construction of a new sawmill! Despite the gold discovery at the mill, after two years of flooding and legal difficulties, Mr. Sutter gave up his claim and Mr. Marshall abandoned the mill. For the next few years, Mr. Marshall prospected for gold with little success then started to invest in vintage, even winning some prizes! The state government even set him up with a $200 monthly pension ($3,846.15 with modern inflation) for his role in discovering gold! However, his love of liquor ended that after only a few years, and he settled into the quiet life of a blacksmith in Kelsey, where he lived out the rest of his days! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Coloma, CA 95613 ANNOTATIONS: Coloma, CA 95613 From Los Angeles: ~430mi (693km) — 7.2hrs |
| When should I go? | In summer, you can visit the day use areas between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and the museum from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM! In fall and winter, the grounds close at 5:00 PM, and the museum closes at 4:00 PM! |