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The Story of California

The story of James Marshall's gold discovery at Sutter's Mill more than 150 years ago is, in many ways, the story of California.

With Marshall's discovery in January 1848, a wild, untamed land once thought of as fit only for trappers, explorers, and adventurers suddenly became the most desired destination in the world. Almost overnight, Alta California became the promised land, full of opportunity and adventure, and no hardship seemed too great to endure in order to get here.

Forty-niners of every color and nationality made impossible treks across the arid Great Basin or embarked on an arduous months-long ship voyage to California. Find deals on vacations, rental cars & cruises

It is said that half the male population of Oregon journeyed south, while hundreds of clipper ships brought thousands more from South America, Portugal, Australia, England, Russia, and even China.

Nothing, it seemed, could stop the great California migration. Imagine: San Francisco had a population of less than 1,000 residents when word of Marshall's find was first proclaimed on the dusty streets, and by decade's end it had burgeoned to 50,000.

By comparison, it took New York City 190 years to reach that size.

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