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Sutter's Fort
Sutter's Fort State Historic
Park sits in Sacramento, California, and is protected by the state,
and includes the fort and the California State Indian museum. The
fort was built in 1839 and named New Helvetia, or New Switzerland by
builder, John Sutter, who had constructed it to become a trade and
agricultural colony in the new territory. It became the first
non-Native American settlement in the Central Valley and is well
known because of it association with the Donner Party, the gold rush
and the beginnings of Sacramento. Also noteworthy is the location,
near the end of the California Trail and the Siskiyou Trail were it
was used for a waystation. When gold was found at Sutter's Mill in
Coloma, the fort became abandoned; but today the adobe structure is
rejuvenated to its former state and managed by the California State
Parks; although with the economy and the state in such dire straits,
it may be facing closure. The site became a landmark in 1961 and was
added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1966. The
fort was constructed by the junction of the American and Sacramento
Rivers, with the main part being built of adobe sometime in between
1841 and 1843 and is now the only survivor of the complex built
there. Here, on January 28, 1848, James Marshall came to show Sutter
the gold he had found while constructing his sawmill on the American
River, four days before. As word of the fabulous gold rush raced
across the world, the fort was left alone during the 1850s and
eventually fell into disrepair. The Native Sons of the Golden West
started a restoration of the fort in 1891 and were able to finish in
1893. The state parks took over management of the fort in 1947 and
in 2009, it was decided to keep the fort open but with an increase
in fees and less staff. Some of the marvelous relics that are
part of the collection include a pewter lamp that was made before
1848, scarf pin and shirt studs made of gold and pearls, opera
glasses made of bone and glass, a German prayer book that was
printed before 1839, a pepperbox pistol that was found on the
grounds of the old fort, a pen holder found in the central building
brickwork, gold dust that was discovered by the east gate, a
Hammond-Bulldog .38 caliber pistol, made in 1864, of steel with
walnut grips and a six shot, the registration books of the fort,
book 1 and 2, the Covell Inman diary from 1859, a violin from before
1846, made of spruce and ebony that was brought to California in
1846, Missouri soil from 1850, an illustrated domestic Bible
published by Case, Lockwood & Company made of leather, print and
pencil on paper that was owned by James Gregson family, photograph
of unknown date of Ann E. Gregson Reid, house boots and Bible from
1865 and so much more that will thrill you and more.
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