Sutter's Mill
08/1847 AD hired
When Marshall returned to his ranch after serving in the Mexican-American War in early 1847, he found that all his cattle had either strayed or been stolen. With his sole source of income gone, Marshall lost his land.
Marshall soon entered into a partnership with Sutter for the construction of a sawmill. Marshall was to oversee the construction and operation of the mill, and would in return receive a portion of the lumber. After scouting nearby areas for a suitable location, he eventually decided upon Coloma, located roughly 40 miles (64 km) upstream of Sutter's Fort on the American River.
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.[5][6]
Construction continued into January 1848, when it was discovered that the tailrace portion of the mill (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.
Lattitude: 38.58° N
Longitude: 121.48° W
Region: North America
Modern Day United States
Subjects Who or What hired?
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John Sutter (Johann August, Don Juan) Swiss immigrant of Mexic...
Objects To Whom or What was hired?
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James W. Marshall American carpenter and s...
Events in 1847 MORE
