Before the paddle wheels on the steamer “Oregon” had fully stopped, a young man with a vision stepped onto the dock at San Francisco. It was late in 1849, and the town was crowded with gold seekers that had heard…
Steppin’ Out – Jimboy’s Tacos
In the early 1970s, there was a Jimboy’s Tacos located on Broadway in Placerville, in the shopping center across from Chuck’s Pancakes. I recall eating there a couple of times and then it disappeared. It wasn’t until early 2006 that…
Steppin’ Out – It’s Personal, “We Follow Fresh”
For the past few months I have been passing by this store at 414 Main Street in Placerville, across from the Bell Tower. The sign says It’s Personal -Unique Gifts and Custom Wine Labels, but only recently did I notice…
The Discovery of Gold, by John Sutter, Part III
From “Hutchings’ California Magazine,” November 1857 Sutter Looks Back at the Events What a great misfortune was this sudden gold discovery for me! It has just broken up and ruined my hard, restless, and industrious labors, connected with many dangers…
The Discovery of Gold, by John Sutter, Part II
From “Hutchings’ California Magazine,” November 1857 AT THE MILL IN COLOMA The next morning we went to the tail-race of the mill, through which the water was running during the night, to clean out the gravel which had been made…
The Discovery of Gold, by John Sutter, Part I
There are a lot of different stories about the discovery of gold at Coloma by James Wilson Marshall. Some were written by people who were alive at the time, some were written by historians at a much later time. This…