The California Gold Rush began in earnest in 1848 when James J. Marshall discovered the precious metal at Sutter’s Mill. Most of the hundreds of thousands of wealth seekers who flocked to the state made no real money, which was gobbled up by large gold concerns. Some ancillary wealth was to be had, of course, in setting up businesses to serve the scores of new arrivals. Here are a few archival images of the mad dash. Click on them for larger views.
The steamship "Nicaragua" could take you from New York to California gold regions in 35 days. Also: The fine print promises there will be "200 Jack Asses!" aboard. That's a lot of jackasses.
A '49er pans in the American River. (Image by L.C. McClure.)
San Francisco Harbor in 1850. In just two years, the population had boomed from 1,000 to 25,000.
San Francisco keeps growing as miners continue to arrive in 1851. Some shops: California Restaurant, Book and Job Printing and Drugs & Medicines.
Workers use jets of water to excavate a mine in Dutch Flat, California.