science · 24 January 1848 · 176 years ago
In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, Coloma, California. This initiated the California Gold Rush and during the next few years, thousands of people flocked to the area to search for gold. Some nuggets of gold in native metallic form were simply lying on the ground. More were found by panning streambeds, and later, increasingly technological mining methods were employed. John A. Sutter was building a sawmill at Coloma on the American Fork River, to provide lumber for construction projects. His contractor, James W. Marshall made the first discovery of specimens of gold, which he showed to Sutter, who chemically identified it was gold. Further samples were found in the gravel of the tail-race of the mill. As recently as 2011, the discovery in northern California of a 100-ounce gold nugget was reported.
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