Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Celebrates 175 Years of Statehood at Coloma Gold Rush Live!
Contact:
Jerrie Beard
Staff Services Analyst
Gold Fields District
(530) 295-2174
Images from Coloma Gold Rush Live! in October 2024 at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Photos from California State Parks.
COLOMA — Celebrate 175 years of California statehood by stepping back in time during Coloma Gold Rush Live! at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (SHP). The public is invited to experience California’s rich Gold Rush history on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10-11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. During this three-day event, park staff and volunteers transform the park into an 1850s tent town where visitors can experience what life may have been like in 1850, the year California was admitted to the Union.
- Visit the miners at the river and stake your claim at the Claims Office.
- Join in the Admittance Day Parade, watch a puppet show, or a mummy unwrapping.
- Stop by the General Store to stock up on provisions.
- Visit the laundry for a clean shirt and the tonsorial for a bath and a shave.
- Check for letters from home at the General Delivery, or post a missive to family back east.
- Visit the carpenter and the cooper and learn how to make a bucket.
- Stop by the blacksmith to have your mining tools repaired.
- Visit the saloon for liquid refreshment or the barbecue for a little sustenance.
Coloma Gold Rush Live! is made possible thanks to our partnership with the Gold Discovery Park Association. Admission to the event is $15 per vehicle, which includes parking. For more information, call (530) 622-3470 or visit parks.ca.gov/MarshallGold. Please note: This is a dog-free event except for service dogs.
Marshall Gold Discovery SHP is located in Coloma on Highway 49, 8 miles north of Placerville and 18 miles south of Auburn, only one hour from Sacramento.
For more events celebrating California’s 175th Anniversary, visit Celebrate.ca.gov.
History of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
In 1848, James W. Marshall found shining flecks of gold in the tailrace of the sawmill he was building in partnership with John Sutter. The discovery in present-day Coloma sparked California’s famous Gold Rush. The consequent influx of people from all over the world propelled California into statehood within two years of the discovery and of the United States taking possession of the area that became California.
The town of Coloma's name is derived from a Native American word, Cullumah, meaning “beautiful valley.” California Native Americans were the majority labor force initially involved in gold mining. Some of the first people traveling from abroad to reach the gold fields around Coloma were experienced miners from Sonora, Mexico, and South America. Those traveling from even further distances to reach the gold fields included people from Australia, Asia and across Europe. Coloma developed into a supply hub for the region's gold mining operations for several decades and managed to survive the boom and bust of most other townsites. Generations of settlers, including German, Swiss, Italian, Chinese and African American families, made long-lasting contributions to the town's continued prosperity with their businesses and agricultural enterprises. All these efforts helped keep Coloma alive long after miners had moved on to other opportunities.
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