1848 | Gold Discovered in California
On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall, a carpenter and sawmill operator, stumbled upon a small shiny material while overseeing the construction of Sutter’s Mill on the American River. Due to the speculation around the claims of gold, the Gold Rush did not begin until December of 1848 when President James Polk proclaimed to the public that there was, in fact, gold!
These miners became known as the 49ers, while the Mexican and Chilean miners who had arrived by the summer of 1848 were known as the 48ers.
FUN FACT:
Do you know the difference between Placer and Lode Mining?
Placer Mining is the process of sifting through gravel to separate out pieces of gold, which is often done in rivers and streams with pans and gold rockers, as well as by later hydraulicking. Lode Mining involves digging tunnels underground to extract gold directly from gold-bearing veins. During the early Gold Rush years, placer mining was the main method used by miners in Calaveras County.
