Two of the area's more prevalent histories on display at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park are those of the Nisenan people who lived in the region prior to the arrival of Europeans and Americans and of the 1848 gold discovery and its aftermath.
The Nisenan filled mortar holes in Grandmother Rock with whole acorns and ground them into a powder to be later prepared for eating. During the colder weather, they lived in conical structures made of cedar tied together with grapevines.
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Mortar Holes in the Top of Grandmother Rock
(currently filled with rainwater) |
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| Nisenan Lodging |
John Sutter and James Marshall built a sawmill at Coloma in 1847.
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| Replica of Sutter's Mill |
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| Site of Sutter's Mill |
James Marshall discovered gold in the tailrace of the mill next to the South Fork of the American River on January 24, 1848. This event was the impetus of the Gold Rush which changed the lives of countless people around the world.
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| South Fork of the American River |
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| Approximate Location where Gold was Discovered |
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