| James Wilson Marshall | |
 James Marshall, c. James William Marshall ( August 14, 1822 &ndash February 5, 1910) was a United States Postmaster General under President 1884
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| Born | October 8, 1810 Round Mountain, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Died | August 10, 1885 (aged 74) Kelsey, California, U.S. |
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 on January 24, 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A carpenter (builder is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry - a wide range of Woodworking that includes constructing buildings, A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards Sawmill process A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of 100 years ago a log enters Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 American River ( Río de los Americanos in the Mexican period located in the US state of California, has a prominent place in United States history for California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California Marshall was forced from his own land by the resulting wave of gold seekers, and never profited from his discovery.
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Biography
James Wilson Marshall was born to Philip and Sarah Wilson Marshall in Lambertsville, New Jersey[1] on October 8, 1810. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year 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. Lambertville is a City in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U
When Philip Marshall died from diabetes 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. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee The Platte Purchase in 1836 added to the state of Missouri, making up its northwest corner [2] It was there that he contracted malaria, a common affliction in the area. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including 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. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. 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 He left Oregon in June 1845 and headed south along the Siskiyou Trail into California, eventually reaching Sutter's Fort, California in mid-July. The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is a state-protected park in Sacramento California which includes Sutter's Fort and the California State Indian Museum
It was here Marshall met John Sutter, the founder of Sutter's Fort, an agricultural settlement. Johann Augustus Sutter ( February 28 1803 &ndash June 18 1880) was a Swiss pioneer of California known for his association Nueva Helvecia is a city in Uruguay New Helvetia ( Nueva Helvetia in Spanish meaning "New Switzerland" was Sutter was also the alcalde of the area, as California was still a Mexican possession in 1845. Alcalde () or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate who had both Judicial and administrative functions The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. 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. A league is a unit of Length or Area long common in Europe and Latin America, although no longer an official unit in any nation The Sacramento River is the longest River entirely within the U It was here that Marshall began his second stint as a farmer.
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. John Charles Frémont ( January 21, 1813 July 13, 1890) was an American military officer, explorer, the The California Republic, also called the Bear Flag Republic, was the result of a revolt by Americans on June 14 1846, in the town of Sonoma 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]
Marshall soon entered into a partnership with Sutter for the construction of a sawmill. A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards Sawmill process A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of 100 years ago a log enters Marshall was to oversee the construction and operation of the mill, and would in return receive a portion of the lumber. Sutter's Mill was a Sawmill owned by 19th century pioneer John Sutter. After scouting nearby areas for a suitable location, he eventually decided upon Coloma, located roughly 40 miles (64 km) upstream of Sutter's Fort. Coloma is a small unincorporated former town in El Dorado County California, USA. 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. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Mormon Battalion was the only religious "unit" in American military history serving from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U [2][3]
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:
| “ | I picked up one or two pieces and examined them attentively; and having some general knowledge of minerals, I could not call to mind more than two which in any way resembled this --sulphuret of iron, very bright and brittle; and gold, bright, yet malleable. I then tried it between two rocks, and found that it could be beaten into a different shape, but not broken. I then collected four or five pieces and went up to Mr. Scott (who was working at the carpenters bench making the mill wheel) with the pieces in my hand and said, "I have found it. "
"What is it?" inquired Scott. |
” |
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. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Lye is a Corrosive alkaline substance commonly Sodium hydroxide (NaOH Marshall, still primarily concerned with the completion of the sawmill, permitted his crew to search for gold during their free time.
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%]. The KARAT (abbreviation "K" or 'Kt' or "KP" for Karat Plumb is a measure of the Purity of Gold Alloys. "
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.
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. The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U 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.
Marshall died in Kelsey on August 10, 1885. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 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. American River ( Río de los Americanos in the Mexican period located in the US state of California, has a prominent place in United States history for 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.
External links
- Lambertville Historical Society
- The James Wilson Marshall House
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Footnotes
- ^ Some sources list his birth place as Lambertville, New Jersey.
- ^ a b c Gallagher, Sarah A. Early History of Lambertville, N. J. , Lambertville Historical Society, 1995.
- ^ "James Wilson Marshall". Retrieved on October 10, 2006.
- ^ Different sources list different dates.
- ^ "James W. Marshall's account of the first discovery of the Gold". Retrieved on October 10, 2006.
References
- Gold Rush Players - James Wilson Marshall The California Gold Country Website, accessed on August 21, 2005. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- H. W. Brands, The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream, ISBN 0-385-72088-2
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