LAST MONTH MARKED THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF THE GOLD DISCOVERY AT COLOMA WHICH MADE THE SUBJECT OF THIS MONTH'S HISTORY REPORT SOMEWHAT OBLIGATORY

THIS WAS ORIGINALLY READ IN SEPTEMBER OF 1996

I HAVE ADDED SOME MATERIAL THAT I THINK WILL GIVE A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT INTO THE SUBJECT OF THIS MONTH'S DISSERTATION

JAMES MARSHALL

JAMES WILSON MARSHALL WAS A DESCENDANT OF JOHN HART A SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

Editor's Note - Sometime we learn of occasional "inaccuracies" in a report. Our appreciation goes out to our readership for keeping us "on our toes" - Slick

Apparently...James Wilson Marshall was NOT a descendant of John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was a very distant cousin, a descendant in the John[3] Hart line, whereas Signer John was descended from the Edward[3] Hart line. Indeed: Signer John was Edward's son; James W. was a great-great-great-great-grandson of John[3]. James Wilson Marshall did NOT have any relationship to Justice James Marshall; they were of completely different families.

HE WAS ALSO RELATED TO JOHN MARSHALL THE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. HE HAILED FROM A TOWN CALLED LAMBERTVILLE N.J. WHERE HE IS STILL CONSIDERED THEIR FAVORITE SON. YOUNG WILSON WAS A WHEELWRIGHT. BACK IN THOSE DAYS A GOOD CARPENTER DREAMED OF SOMEDAY BEING SKILLED ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MAKE WHEELS. AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF RAMBLING WHICH INCLUDED MISSOURI AND OREGON HE EVENTUALLY CAME TO SUTTER'S FORT WHERE THEY FOUND HE COULD MAKE OR FIX ANYTHING FROM SPINNING WHEELS TO FURNITURE.

AFTER TAKING A ROLE IN THE BEAR FLAG REBELLION MR. MARSHALL RETURNED TO THE RANCH HE HAD ESTABLISHED WITH THE WAGES HE HAD MADE WORKING FOR CAPTAIN SUTTER ONLY TO FIND IT HAD BEEN PILLAGED IN HIS ABSENCE. HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO BACK TO WORK FOR THE GOOD CAPTAIN.

AT A PLACE NOT FAR FROM HERE CALLED COLOMA MR. MARSHALL'S JOB WAS TO CONSTRUCT A SAWMILL TO FURNISH BUILDING MATERIALS FOR SUTTERS GROWING EMPIRE. THE SAWMILL WAS TO BE RUN BY HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE AMERICAN RIVER USING A WATER DRIVEN WHEEL. AFTER A RATHER DISMAL TRIAL RUN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MORE WATER WAS GOING TO HAVE TO COME THROUGH THE TAILRACE TO GET THE WHEEL TO TURN FAST ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MILL ANY LUMBER. THE SOLUTION WAS TO DIG IN THE DAYTIME AND LET THE WATER RUN THROUGH AT NIGHT. WHEN THE WATER SCOURED OUT THE TAILRACE, NATURALLY GOLD WOULD GET CAUGHT IN THE FISSURES IN THE BEDROCK. THAT MONDAY MARSHALL ORDERED THE HEAD GATE AT THE UPPER END OF THE DITCH SEALED OFF WITH LEAVES, DIRT AND SAW DUST, THUS ALLOWING NO WATER TO COME THROUGH. NOW JAMES HAD A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF GEOLOGY AND HAD REMARKED IN HIS WRITINGS OF "BLOSSOM" (QUARTZ OUTCROPPINGS) IN THE AREA WELL BEFORE THE ACTUAL GOLD DISCOVERY DATE. WALKING THROUGH THE DITCH HE SPOTTED SOME "COLOR". NOT WANTING TO BE EMBARRASSED, HE TESTED WHAT HE FOUND BY HITTING IT WITH A ROCK. IT DID NOT SHATTER, AS FOOLS GOLD WOULD, AND THIS CONFIRMED HIS SUSPICIONS. HE WRAPPED HIS FINDINGS IN A HANDKERCHIEF AND TOOK THEM TO CAPTAIN SUTTER.

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD NEWS EXCEPT THAT JOHN SUTTER HAD NO CLAIM TO THE LAND THAT THE SAW MILL WAS SITTING ON. THE FACT IS, THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD PROVED TO BE A DISASTER FOR JOHANN AUGUSTUS SUTTER. BECAUSE ALL OF HIS WORKERS AT THE FORT LEFT THEIR JOBS FOR THE GOLD FIELDS. EVEN MARSHALL HIMSELF CAUGHT GOLD FEVER AND GAVE UP ON THE MILL AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS OF OPERATION.

JAMES WAS NOT AS LUCKY AS MOST PEOPLE THINK AND DID NOT BECOME RICH, JUST FAMOUS. ANYTIME HIS IDENTITY WAS REVEALED SOMEONE WOULD ALWAYS BE ASKING HIS ADVICE OR FOLLOWING HIM AROUND LIKE HE WAS SOME SORT OF LATTER DAY KING MIDAS. JAMES HAD NUMEROUS OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES RANGING FROM FARMING AN APPLE ORCHARD TO WINE MAKING TO SELLING HIS AUTOGRAPH FOR .25 A COPY. JAMES APPLIED FOR AND GOT A STIPEND FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. EVENTUALLY MR. MARSHALL LOST THIS GRANT WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT HE HAD ALLOWED ALCOHOL TO BECOME HIS MASTER.

ON AUGUST 10, 1885 JAMES WILSON MARSHALL DIED PENNILESS.

IN TIME A MONUMENT WAS BUILT OVER HIS GRAVE IN COLOMA THAT PORTRAYS MARSHALL WITH A GOLD NUGGET IN ONE HAND AND POINTING TO THE GOLD DISCOVERY SITE WITH THE OTHER.