Sheldon Grist Mill - Sloughhouse, California

DATE VISITED:  04/11/2015

HISTORICAL SITE:  Sheldon Grist Mill Site

LOCATION:  12700 Meiss Road, Sloughhouse, Sacramento Co., CA

MARKER #:  439

DEDICATED:  September 26, 1997

"Site of grist mill built by Jared Dixon (Joaquin) Sheldon 1846-47 on Omochumnes Rancho, granted to him by Mexican government 1843. Sheldon born Vermont January 8, 1813, came to California 1832. Sheldon shot July 11, 1851, by miners in quarrel over dam he built which flooded miners' claims."

**closer look below

MARKER PLACED BY:  California Centennials Commission. Base furnished by Liberty Parlor No. 213 NativeDaughters and Elk Grove Parlor No. 41 Native Sons of the Golden West. 

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:  This stop occurred quite by happenstance. Driving down Hwy 16, I had told Daniel to be on the watch out for any historical monuments. 

I had looked in my rear view mirror and the receding mountains were beautiful. I asked Daniel to get a picture and suggested he aim the camera into the mirror on his side. He took a great picture of the mirror! We have to try this again....I'm still not sure it wouldn't have worked but a curve in the Highway, and the view was gone.

After we passed one going about 75...ummm, I mean 65, I told Daniel I wasn't very impressed with his co-piloting. Within a few miles we saw a sign announcing another monument. With a quick check that Daniel was game, I pulled into the parking lot of the Sloughhouse Inn.

Interesting thing about Jared Dixon Joaquin Sheldon's name... Dixon is a town, Joaquin is a county and Sheldon is a Street. 

Sheldon came to the area after receiving a land grant from the Mexican Government. "Omochumnes Rancho" was about 14,000 acres encompassing Sloughhouse & Rancho Murieta.

In 1845, Sheldon built a grist mill to mill wheat for Captain John Sutter on the Consumnes River.

The grinding stones were originally cut from a place called Stony Creek, about 25 miles from Sutter Fort. Archaeologists and geologists suspect they probably came from the area of present day Rocklin.

Sheldon was known for getting along with the Indians, employing local Miwoks. True or not, it was said that Indians on the Great Plain nursed Sheldon back to health when his companions abandoned him and that he hid with American Indians after a dispute with Mexicans near present day Los Angeles.

In 1850 and 1851, the area had a problem with horse and cattle thieves. As was normal for the time, vigilante groups meted out justice and locals, including Sheldon, took law into their own hands. Sheldon was known to be involved in several cases of whippings and hangings.

In 1851, Sheldon purchased land above Sloughhouse in order to use the river to irrigate crops and built a dam. Miners who had unrecorded gold mining claims on Sheldon's land had a bit of a problem from the flooding caused by Sheldon's dam. On July 12, 1851, Sheldon and his workers were in a faceoff with about 150 miners. When the shooting stopped, Sheldon and 2 others were killed.

I had a great day with Daniel and hopefully there are plenty of other opportunities to spend an afternoon with my son. Thank you Daniel!

 

Coloma Road - Rescue & Coloma, California

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