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Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Brochure
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Brochure
www.parks.ca.gov
Discover the many states of California.™
where he visited had been granted this land as economy. However, James Marshall spotted
his mother and part of a treaty. Its non-Indian a shiny bit of metal in the tailrace at Sutter’s
sister. After a population was about 14,000. At the mill, giving rise to one of the most culturally
few months, time, only a few hundred overland diverse and technologically advanced
he returned pioneers had found ways to bring populations in the world.
to Kelsey and their wagon trains across the deserts The Park
moved into the and mountains to California. But Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park,
Union Hotel. Cemetery and James Marshall’s cabin that all changed with the discovery created in 1942, encompasses most of the
In 1872 the of gold. historic town of Coloma. With about two
State Legislature passed a bill to pro- Between 1848 and 1852, the world’s fasci- hundred year-round residents in town and
vide Marshall a pension of $200 a month nation with California caused its non-Indian the surrounding area, the tree-lined streets
for two years. He paid some debts and population to boom to more than 200,000. of the park are usually quiet, shady and
equipped a blacksmith shop in Kelsey. Few “Forty-Niners” intended to remain in serene. Most visitors and students come
The state pension was reduced by half for California permanently—most had come to during spring, summer and
the next four years, but it ended in 1878 seek their fortune and then fall or for special events year-
amid criticism of Marshall’s personal hab- return home. But many sent round, including the annual
its—especially his weakness for liquor. for their families and stayed, celebration of the January 24
Marshall continued to work in his while others returned later to gold discovery.
blacksmith shop and in the small gold become permanent residents. A number of historic
mines he owned near Kelsey. When he Over the next 50 years, buildings and sites—including
died on August 10, 1885, at the age of roughly 125 million ounces of the blacksmith shop, the Price-
Photo by Ric Horner
75, the man who dug his grave on the gold taken from the hills had Thomas and Papini homes, the
hillside was Andrew Monroe, the son of a critical effect on California’s Mormon, James Marshall, and
Nancy Gooch. In 1890 a monumental early development. If gold Miner’s cabins, and the Indian
statue—California’s first State Historic had not been discovered, bedrock mortar—remain to
Monument—was commissioned and California’s climate, resources remind us of that tumultuous
placed on the hill overlooking the gold and location might have been period. One outstanding
discovery site to mark the location of ignored for a much longer attraction of the park is the full-
Marshall’s grave. time. There would have been 1858 St. John’s Church sized replica of Sutter’s sawmill.
The original, abandoned and torn down for Accessible Features Exhibits
its lumber, disappeared in the floods of Hiking The accessibly-designed Gold Discovery
the 1850s. The replica, looking much like The half-mile Gold Discovery Loop Trail, Museum has restrooms, self-guided
the original, was completed in 1968 and is from the museum to the gold discovery exhibits and an audio-visual theater. Video
interpreted for park visitors. Some of the overlook site, is mostly level and hard packed, captioning and large print brochures are
original mill’s timbers, reclaimed from the but some slopes may require assistance. available.
river, are displayed nearby. Gold-panning Picnicking Accessibility is continually improving.
activities are available year-round. The North Beach group picnic area has For current details, call the park, or visit
The Gold Discovery Museum and accessible tables with generally accessible http://access.parks.ca.gov.
Other Exhibits restrooms and parking nearby. The picnic
Exhibits in the Gold Discovery Museum tell area near the Wah Hop Store and Mann Lee
the story of John Sutter and James Marshall, exhibits has accessible tables that may be
and how drastically the simple act of usable with assistance.
noticing a small fleck of gold would alter the
Please Remember
lives of hundreds of thousands of people
• The museum and historic buildings are • Help keep the park clean. Whatever
from that day to the present. The museum
open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily, you bring in, please take out with you.
also has Indian and Gold Rush-era exhibits, • Stay on the trails—shortcuts destroy
and may be open longer depending on
including mining equipment, horse-drawn availability of staff. They are closed on ground cover and speed erosion.
vehicles, household implements and other Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s The river shoreline has submerged
memorabilia, as well as films about the gold days. Park grounds are open daily, 8:00 obstacles and an uneven bottom, and
discovery and early mining techniques. a.m. to sunset. the water level and flow change quickly
Next door to the museum are an outdoor • Check the current schedule for and often. Diving is not permitted.
mining exhibit and two original buildings interpretive programs at the • Dogs must be on a leash
used by the Chinese. Throughout the park, museum/visitor center, or and are not permitted
the exhibits show the various standards visit the park’s website. in historic buildings,
of living as Coloma developed through • Call the park to arrange to on trails, outside of
time. The Gold Discovery Loop Trail have your wedding in either developed areas, or on
makes it easy to visit the site of Marshall’s of the park’s historic church- beaches.
momentous discovery, the original mill site, es or on the park’s grounds. • To guarantee access
as well as other points of interest. • There is no camping in to the park, groups of
You can walk under native Californian the park, but the Coloma ten or more must make
trees, as well as the Chinese Tree of Heav- and Lotus communities advance reservations.
en, black locust, Texas mesquite, southern have several private camp- For more information
pecan, Osage orange, persimmon and oth- grounds and stores. Recre- call (866) 240-4655,
ers planted by homesick miners as remind- ational gold panning, with or visit our website at
ers of their former dwellings. hands and pan only, is al- www.parks.ca.gov.
lowed in designated areas.
Cooking demonstration