James W. Marshall
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In 1848, James Marshall, a carpenter working for Sutter on his mill at Coloma discovered gold. When word got out, the California Gold Rush began. By the 1850's, Sutter's Fort, which had been the central building of Sutter's operations, was all that remained of his holdings in Sacramento. |
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Marshall at Sutter's fort |
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Marshall's cabin |
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The Marshall Monument stands at the summit of Marshall Hill, overlooking the town of Coloma and the site of Sutters Mill. The bronze Marshall, holding a gold nugget in one hand, points with the other to the site where he discovered those first few flakes of gold. The monument is made of granite and stands thirty-one feet tall, atop of which is the ten foot six-inch tall bronze statue of James Marshall. |