Enjoy it while visiting Sacramento in California
Swiss immigrant John Sutter constructed a fortress in the mid-1840s to safeguard his crops and ensure his personal safety. Spanning 150,000 acres of his own land near present-day Capitol Park, the fort became a welcoming refuge for Western immigrants. These newcomers played a crucial role in cultivating the wheat, cotton, and bean crops within the protective walls of the fort. Additionally, Sutter’s business ventures expanded beyond farming into the fur trade and ranching industry.
Sutter asked James Marshall to construct a sawmill along the American River, about 50 miles east of the fort. Not long after that, Marshall came across the initial documented discovery of a golden nugget, which marked the beginning of the California Gold Rush.