James Wilson Marshall
James Marshall, c. 1884
Born	October 8, 1810 Hopewell, New Jersey, USA
Died	August 10, 1885 Kelsey, California, USA

James Wilson Marshall (October 8, 1810 - August 10, 1885) was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, whose discovery of gold in the American River in California in January 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush. Marshall was forced from his own land by the resulting wave of gold seekers, and never profited from his discovery. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (375x608, 22 KB) Summary depiction of James W. Marshall from http://www. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Hopewell highlighted in Mercer County. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Carpenters in an Indian village. ... A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... The American River, located in the US state of California, has a prominent place in American history for being the site of Sutters Mill, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) began in January 1848, when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill. ...

Biography

James Wilson Marshall was born to Philip and Sarah Wilson Marshall in Hopewell, New Jersey^[1] on October 8, 1810. He was the oldest of four children, and the only male. In 1816, the Marshall family relocated to nearby Lambertville, where Philip constructed a house on approximately five acres of land. Hopewell highlighted in Mercer County. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Lambertville highlighted in Hunterdon County. ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ...

When Philip Marshall died in 1834, James left New Jersey and headed west. After spending time in Indiana and Illinois, he settled in Missouri (in an area created by the Platte Purchase) in 1844, and began farming along the Missouri River.^[2] It was there that he contracted malaria, a common affliction in the area. On the advice of his doctor, Marshall left Missouri in the hopes of improving his health. He joined an emigrant train heading west and arrived in Oregon's Willamette Valley in the spring of 1845. He left Oregon in June 1845 and headed south along the Siskiyou Trail into California, eventually reaching Sutter's Fort, California in mid-July. Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Platte Purchase, a historic region of the United States was the territory included the land between the Missouri River and the original state line. ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease that is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... The Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its emergence from mountains near Eugene to its confluence with the Columbia River. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones, the transition from winter into summer. ... The Siskiyou Trail stretched from Californias Central Valley to Oregons Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path. ... 19th century illustration of Sutters Fort Completed in 1839, Sutters Fort, which was originally called New Helvetia (New Switzerland) by its builder, John Sutter, was a 19th century agricultural and trading colony in California. ...

It was here Marshall met John Sutter, the founder of Sutter's Fort, an agricultural settlement. Sutter was also the alcalde of the area, as California was still a Mexican possession in 1845. Sutter hired Marshall to assist with work around the fort (carpentry, primarily). He also helped Marshall to buy two leagues of land on the north side of Butte Creek (a tributary of the Sacramento River) and provided him with cattle. It was here that Marshall began his second stint as a farmer. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Nuevo Helvetia (also known as New Helvetia or New Switzerland) was a Mexican-era California settlement. ... Alcalde is the Spanish title of the chief administrator of a town. ... League is a unit of distance long common in Europe and Latin America, although no longer an official unit in any nation. ... Butte Creek is tributary to the Sacramento River, joining the river in the vicinity of Colusa, California. ... A spring at the Sacramento River headwater The Sacramento River is the longest river in the state of California. ...

Soon after this, the Mexican–American War began in May 1846. Marshall volunteered and served under Captain John C. Frémont's California Battalion during the Bear Flag Revolt. When he left the battalion and returned to his ranch in early 1847, he discovered that all his cattle had either strayed or been stolen. With his sole source of income gone, Marshall lost his land.^[2] Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia Strength 78,789 soldiers 18,000–40,000 soldiers Casualties KIA: 1733 Total dead: 13,271 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 killed or wounded (Mexican government estimate... John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890), born John Charles Fremont, was an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first Presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform... The first Bear Flag. ...

Marshall soon entered into a partnership with Sutter for the construction of a sawmill. Marshall was to oversee the construction and operation of the mill, and would in return receive a portion of the lumber. After scouting nearby areas for a suitable location, he eventually decided upon Coloma, located roughly 40 miles upstream of Sutter's Fort. He proposed his plan to Sutter, and construction began in late August. His crew consisted mainly of local Native Americans and veterans of the Mormon Battalion on their way to Salt Lake City, Utah.^[2][3] A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards. ... Sutters Mill in 1850. ... Coloma is a former small town in El Dorado County, California, USA (Latitude/Longitude: 38. ... Native Americans are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ... The Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in American military history serving from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican War. ... Salt Lake City redirects here. ...

Construction continued into January 1848, when it was discovered that the tailrace portion of the mill (that is, the ditch that drained water away from the waterwheel) was too narrow and shallow for the volume of water needed to operate the saw. Marshall decided to use the natural force of the river to excavate and enlarge the tailrace. This could only be done at night, so as not to endanger the lives of the men working on the mill during the day. Every morning Marshall examined the results of the previous night's excavation.

Gold discovery

On the morning of January 24^[4], Marshall was examining the channel below the mill when he noticed some shiny flecks in the channel bed. As later recounted by Marshall:

The metal was confirmed to be gold after members of Marshall's crew performed tests on the metal—boiling it in a lye solution and hammering it to test its malleability. Marshall, still primarily concerned with the completion of the sawmill, permitted his crew to search for gold during their free time. General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Lye is a caustic solution used for glass and soap making. ...

By the time Marshall returned to Sutter's Fort, four days later, the war had ended and California was about to become an American possession. Marshall shared his discovery with Sutter, who performed further tests on the gold and told Marshall that it was "of the finest quality, of at least 23 carats [96%]." Meanings of carat or karat: In the gem business: Carat (mass) is a unit of mass for gems. ...

Marshall in front of the mill in 1850.

News of the discovery soon reached around the world. The immediate impact for Marshall was negative. His sawmill failed when the all able-bodied men in the area abandoned everything to search for gold. Before long, arriving hordes of prospectors forced him off his land. Marshall soon left the area. Moving from meta File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Moving from meta File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Marshall returned to Coloma in 1857 and found some success in the 1860s with a vineyard he started. That venture ended in failure towards the end of the decade, due mostly to higher taxes and increased competition. He returned to prospecting in the hopes of finding success.

He became a partner in a gold mine near Kelsey, California but the mine yielded nothing and left Marshall practically bankrupt. The California State Legislature awarded him a two-year pension in 1872 in recognition of his role in an important era in California history. It was renewed in 1874 and 1876 but lapsed in 1878. Marshall, penniless, eventually ended up in a small cabin, earning money from a small subsistence garden. Californias Capitol, where the State Legislature meets California State Assembly chamber California state Senate chamber The California Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of California. ...

Marshall died in Kelsey on August 10, 1885. His body was brought to Coloma and buried on the property where he had owned his vineyard. The grave was in a hill that overlooked the south fork of the American River. In May 1890, a monument was erected over his grave site. A statue of Marshall stands on top of the monument, pointing to the spot where he made his discovery in 1848. August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The American River, located in the US state of California, has a prominent place in American history for being the site of Sutters Mill, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush. ...

In 1927, California's government named the one-acre parcel where Marshall's vineyard stood the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. In 1967, Marshall's boyhood home in Lambertville was saved from demolition and has since been restored. The James W. Marshall House now houses an extensive collection of archived items and documents pertaining not only to the Marshall family, but also to the history of Lambertville. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is a U. S. state park in California, USA. It marks the discovery of gold by James W. Marshall in 1848. ... Exterior of the James W. Marshall House The James W. Marshall House, located at 60 Bridge Street in Lambertville, New Jersey, was the boyhood home of James W. Marshall. ...

External links

• Lambertville Historical Society
• The James Wilson Marshall House
• Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Footnotes

October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

References

• Gold Rush Players - James Wilson Marshall The California Gold Country Website, accessed on August 21, 2005.
• H.W. Brands, The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream, ISBN 0-385-72088-2