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Ella M. Sexton - Stories of California
California became the property of the United States, and Lower California was left to Mexico.
From that time there was peace and quiet, and before long the discovery of gold brought the new territory
into great importance. The rush to the gold mines brought thousands of men, and as no government had
been provided for the territory, Governor Riley in '49 called a convention to form a plan of government.
This Constitutional Convention of delegates from each of California's towns met in Monterey. The
constitution there drawn up lasted for thirty years, and under it our great state was built up. It declared
that no slavery should ever be allowed here, and settled the present eastern boundary line.
The first Thanksgiving Day for the territory was set by Governor Riley, in '49. The first governor elected
by California voters was Burnett, and in the first legislature Fremont and Gwin were chosen as senators.
Congress at last admitted California into the Union by passing the California bill. On September 9, 1850,
President Fillmore signed the bill.
Every year on the 9th of September, or "Admission Day," we therefore keep our state's birthday. At San
Jose, in '99, a Jubilee Day was held in remembrance of the beginning of state government fifty years
before.
THE DAYS OF GOLD AND THE ARGONAUTS OF 1849
California has well earned her name of "Golden State," for from her rich mines gold to the value of
thirteen hundred millions has been taken. Yet every year she adds seventeen millions more to the world's
stock of gold. No country has produced more of this precious yellow metal that men work and fight and
die for. The "gold belt" of the state still holds great wealth for miners to find in years to come.
Long, long ago people knew that gold was here, for in 1510 a Spanish novel speaks of "that island of
California where a great abundance of gold and precious stones is found." In 1841 the Indians near San
Fernando Mission washed out gold from the river-sands, and other mines were found not far from Los
Angeles.
But James W. Marshall was the man who started the great excitement of '48 and '49 by finding small
pieces of gold at a place now called Coloma, on the American River. Marshall, who was born in New
Jersey, came to this state in 1847, and being a builder wished to put up houses, sawmills, and flour-mills.
Finding that lumber was very dear, he decided to build a sawmill to exit up the great trees on the
river-bank. He had no money, but John A. Sutter, knowing a mill was needed there, gave Marshall
enough to start with.
So the mill was built, and when it was ready to run Marshall found that the mill-race, or ditch for
carrying the water to his mill-wheel, was not deep enough. He turned a strong current of water into it,
and this ran all night. Then it was shut off, and next day the ditch showed where the stream had washed it
deeper and had left a heap of sand and gravel at the end of it. Here Marshall saw some shining little
stones, and picking them up he laid one on a rock and hammered it with another till he saw how quickly
it changed its shape. He was sure that these bright, heavy, easily hammered pebbles were gold, but the
men working about the mill would not believe it. So he went to Sutter, who lived near at a place called
Sutter's Fort, because his stores, house, and other buildings were built around a hollow square with high
walls outside to keep off the Indians. Sutter weighed the little yellow lumps and said they certainly were
gold.
The flood-gates between the mill-race and the river were opened again, and water ran through the ditch,
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