DATE VISITED: 03/21/2015
HISTORICAL SITE: Coloma Road - Rescue to Coloma
LOCATIONS: 4222 Green Valley Rd., Rescue, El Dorado Co.,
CA & Hwy 49 (Gold Discovery Parking Area)
MARKER #: 747 & 748
DEDICATED: August 14, 1960
"Past this point
on the old Coloma Road, running between Sutter's Fort and his sawmill on the
American River, James W. Marshall rode with the first gold discovered at Coloma
on Jan. 24, 1848. Travelled by thousands to and from the diggings, this road
became the route of California's earliest stage line established in 1849 by
James E. Birch"
"Here in the
valley of the Cul-Luh-Mah Indians, James W. Marshall discovered gold on January
24, 1848, in the tailrace of Sutter's Sawmill. The old Coloma Road, opened in
1847 from Sutter's Fort to Coloma, was used by Marshall to carry the news of
the discovery to Captain John A. Sutter. During the gold rush it was used by
thousands of miners going to and from the diggings. In 1849 it became the route
of California's earliest stage line established in 1849 by James E. Birch"
Markers Placed By: Placed by the California State Park
Commission in cooperation with the Golden Key of Greenwood, El Dorado County
Chamber of Commerce, and the Grand Parlors, Native Sons and Native Daughters of
the Golden West
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:
Note to self: If you plan an outing and then wait a week or so before you go,
you should review the places you have outlined on a map.
My oldest son David accompanied me on this trip and I have
to say, having someone along is much more fun, but it's doubly so with either,
or both, of my sons.
When I picked David up, he said "where first". I
looked at the map and pointed...here. "Where's here?" David asked and
I couldn't remember.
It was a nice warm day and a very pleasant drive around
Folsom Lake passing by the Dam. I've never seen the Dam from that angle and I
was surprised at how big it is. Excitedly, I told David to take a picture,
which he did. When we got home I looked at the pictures and you just can't get
a feel for how enormous the dam really is. I was going to put it here but David
took a great picture of the end of my nose with my hair flying since I had opened
the window for him to take a clear picture....*hits the delete button*.
We stopped at the side of the road when our GPS notified us
were at the landmark. Looking around, we really didn’t see anything so David got
out and found the landmark behind a chain link fence. It lies in a construction
area, a bit overgrown and with what looks like insulation on it. We might have
missed it if David hadn’t gotten out and looked around.
I put these two landmarks (747 & 748) together since
they are a stop and a final destination on the same route. This was the road
that went from Sutter's Fort to Coloma. While the early route was a pack trail,
it became more and more compacted as more miners poured into El Dorado County. The
Oregonians are credited with bringing
the first wagons on the trail.
Most people think of this road as the major route taking
miners into the foothills and while that is true, the road played a role in
getting the news out as this is the route James Marshall took back to Sutter's
Fort to tell his partner, John Sutter, that gold had been found.
Coloma Road became the first stage line in 1849. Surprisingly,
of the maze of roads that radiated out from Coloma, some still exist:
- · Georgetown Road through Garden Valley (SR 193)
- · Ridge Road to Kelsey
- · Gold Hill Road to Cold Springs and Placerville
- · And SR49 "mother lode highway" Placerville to Auburn via Coloma
