Q.David Bowers
Marshall and Sutter, in 1847, discussed the building of a sawmill. On May 16th Marshall, accompanied by an Indian and two white men named Treador and Graves, set out toward the foothills. On the 20th of May they were joined by one Gingery. They went up to what was later known as Weber Creek to its head, and then on to the American River where they came to Columa (later called "Coloma," the Indian word for "beautiful valley").
Within the valley were verdant groves of trees and low bushes. The Columa Indians settled here and lived peaceably. Located 35 to 40 miles distant from Sutter's Fort, Coloma was considered to be the best site as it combined abundant water power with a seemingly unlimited supply of nearby timber. It was calculated that the building of a road back to the fort would present no unusual difficulty. Lumber would have to be hauled 18 miles overland and then transported the rest of the way by floating.
When Sutter was told of the location he drew up a contract with Marshall giving the latter an interest in the enterprise. Sutter agreed to furnish the labor, supplies, and financing. Marshall was to supervise the construction and to operate the mill once it was completed. Shortly after the agreement was signed, Marshall left Sutter's Fort with Mexican oxcarts hauling supplies and tools and with an accompanying flock of sheep to be used as food. It took a week to make the journey.
At Coloma a double log house was built with a passageway connecting the two main parts. This was situated on high ground about a quarter mile from the mill site. One section of the house was occupied by the laborers, and the other was the residence of the Wimmer family, with Mrs. Wimmer serving as cook for the group. A disagreement erupted later, and the men built a separate cabin near the partially completed mill and did their own cooking. The menu mainly consisted of salted salmon and boiled wheat with lamb stew providing variety.
By N ew Year's Day 1848 the main frame of the mill had risen on the banks of the American River. By mid-January a dam made of brush and rocks had been com-pleted, despite a flood which had nearly swept everything downriver.
To save time in constructing a mill race or channel to power the sawblade, an old existing river channel, long since dried up, was chosen. This had to be deepened and widened to make it suitable for use. This was ac-complished by blasting at the upper end to admit water into the course. The stream would then wash accumulated rocks and debris and would deepen the lower part of the channel. During the day the flow of water would be blocked and the work crew removed the larger stones by hand, sometimes aided by blasting. The crew consisted of 10 white men (mostly Mormons from the disbanded battalion, who intended eventually to go on to Salt Lake) and local Indians, supervised by Marshall's assistant Peter L. Wimmer. Once the day's work was done, the channel would be opened at the upper end and water would rush through during the night.
Thus the scene was set for the discovery of gold in California, an event which would reverberate around the world. The discovery itself is believed to have occurred in the afternoon of Monday, January 24, 1848. This date was given by Henry W. Bigler, a Mormon worker there who kept a detailed journal. James Marshall later asserted that the discovery took place" on or about the 19th of January;" but the 24th seems to be a stronger possibility, not only from Bigler's account but from several other verifications.
During the afternoon of the 24th Marshall was walking along the mill race to inspect the work in progress. He noticed the yellow glint of a few flakes in the streambed but paid little attention to them. Soon, after noticing more, he sent an Indian to fetch a tin plate.
Scooping up sand and yellow flakes he swirled the mixture around in water and separated a small quantity of yellow particles. His attention was then diverted to other things, and the search for yellow flakes was temporarily stopped.
That evening Marshall is said to have remarked, "Boys, I think I have found a gold mine." His listeners were skeptical.
The next morning Marshall went down to the mill race to see what the effects were from the water which had rushed through during the previous night. Beneath about six inches of water he saw a tiny yellow nodule. If it were gold it would have a value of about a half dollar. Although Marshall was not a metallurgist he did know that gold was heavy and could be flattened by hammering. He tested its weight in his hand, bit it, and then flattened it by hammering between two stones. As historian Hubert H. Bancroft was later to write, "It must be gold! And the mighty secret of the Sierra stood revealed!"
In later years four who were present at the time,Bigler, Marshall, Wimmer, and Wimmer's wife, each gave different versions of what happened during the actual gold discovery. Bigler was the only one who kept a written journal at the time, so Bancroft considered his testimony to be the most reliable.
Two days after the initial discovery Marshall took several ounces of the gold he had collected and rode to Sutter's Fort. Late in the afternoon of January 28th he arrived at New Helvetia and found Sutter busily writing. Marshall requested a private meeting, and he and Sutter went into a separate room and bolted the door.
A volume of an encyclopedia kept at the fort was called for, and the section on gold was carefully studied. First, the yellow metal was subjected to acid, and it remained impervious. Then $3 in silver coins was put into one pan of a scale balance and an equal weight of gold into the other. Both pans were immersed in water, and the side with the gold dust went down and the silver coin up, proving that the metal was heavier than silver. After further study and consideration, all doubts disappeared.
Upon confirmation of the gold discovery, Marshall wanted to return to the American River immmediately. It had been raining throughout the day, and Sutter invited Marshall to spend the night. The latter was eager to return, so he left immediately through the rain and darkness. The next morning Sutter followed his steps. Halfway there he saw something stir in the bushes. Investigating, he found it was Marshall, who had been to the mill and was on his way back to meet Sutter.
Arriving at the mill late in the afternoon, Sutter and Marshall examined the mill race. The next morning, Sutter, Marshall, and the workmen all went down to the channel to see what had been washed by the water during the previous night. Sutter acquired an ounce and a half of gold, some of it given to him by workmen but much found by himself. Subsequent investigations up and down the river showed that gold was present in tributary creeks and ravines.