Sutter's Fort on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Sutter's Fort was a 19th-century agricultural and trade colony in the Mexican '' Alta California'' province.National Park Service
"California National Historic Trail."
/ref> The site of the fort was established in 1839 and originally called New Helvetia (''New Switzerland'') by its builder John Sutter, though construction of the fort proper would not begin until 1841. The fort was the first non- indigenous community in the California Central Valley. The fort is famous for its association with the Donner Party, the California Gold Rush, and the formation of the city of
The Main Building of the fort is a two-story adobe structure built between 1841 and 1843. This building is the only original surviving structure at the reconstructed Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. It was in here on January 28, 1848, that James Marshall met privately with Sutter in order to show Sutter the 
Most of the original neighborhood structures were initially built in the late 1930s as residences, many of which have been converted to commercial uses such as private medical practices. The history of the neighborhood is largely residential.
Sutter's Fort is located on level ground at an elevation of approximately above mean sea datum. The slope elevation decreases northward toward the American River and westward toward the
John Bidwell (Sutter's Fort Pioneer Collection), 1841–1902. Collection guide, California State Library, California History Room.
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park official site
Virtual Sutter's Fort Virtual Web Site
Library of Congress, Americas Memory
{{Coord, 38, 34, 24, N, 121, 28, 17, W, region:US-CA_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1839 California Gold Rush Fort California State Historic Parks Museums in Sacramento, California History museums in California Forts in California Military and war museums in California Parks in Sacramento County, California History of Sacramento, California Adobe buildings and structures in California Buildings and structures in Sacramento, California California Historical Landmarks National Historic Landmarks in California Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Sacramento, California 1839 establishments in Alta California Donner Party Landmarks in Sacramento, California Houses in Sacramento County, California
Sutter's Fort was a 19th-century agricultural and trade colony in the Mexican '' Alta California'' province.National Park Service"California National Historic Trail."
/ref> The site of the fort was established in 1839 and originally called New Helvetia (''New Switzerland'') by its builder John Sutter, though construction of the fort proper would not begin until 1841. The fort was the first non- indigenous community in the California Central Valley. The fort is famous for its association with the Donner Party, the California Gold Rush, and the formation of the city of
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, surrounding the fort. It is notable for its proximity to the end of the California Trail and Siskiyou Trails, which it served as a waystation.
After gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill (also owned by John Sutter) in Coloma on January 24, 1848, the fort was abandoned. The adobe structure has been restored to its original condition and is now administered by California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 28 ...
. It was designated a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...
in 1961.
Description
The Main Building of the fort is a two-story adobe structure built between 1841 and 1843. This building is the only original surviving structure at the reconstructed Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. It was in here on January 28, 1848, that James Marshall met privately with Sutter in order to show Sutter the gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
that Marshall had found during the construction of Sutter's sawmill along the American River only four days earlier. Sutter built the original fort with walls thick and 15 to high. Pioneers took residence at Sutter's Fort around 1841. Following word of the Gold Rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
, the fort was largely deserted by the 1850s and fell into disrepair.
In 1891, the Native Sons of the Golden West, who sought to safeguard many of the landmarks of California's pioneer days, purchased and rehabilitated Sutter's Fort when the City of Sacramento sought to demolish it. Repair efforts were completed in 1893 and the fort was given by the Native Sons of the Golden West to the State of California. In 1947, the fort was transferred to the authority of California State Parks.
Most of the original neighborhood structures were initially built in the late 1930s as residences, many of which have been converted to commercial uses such as private medical practices. The history of the neighborhood is largely residential.
Construction
The party led byJohn Augustus Sutter
John Augustus Sutter (February 23, 1803 – June 18, 1880), born Johann August Sutter and known in Spanish as Don Juan Sutter, was a Swiss immigrant of Mexican and American citizenship, known for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area th ...
landed on the bank of the American River in August 1839. The group included three Europeans and a Native American boy, probably to serve as interpreter. Most of the colony's first members were Native Hawaiians. Sutter had entered a contract with the governor of Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
to hire eight men and two women for three years. Once the first camp was setup, Sutter arranged for local Miwok
The Miwok (also spelled Miwuk, Mi-Wuk, or Me-Wuk) are members of four linguistically related Native American groups indigenous to what is now Northern California, who traditionally spoke one of the Miwok languages in the Utian family. The word ...
and Nisenan people to build the first building, a three-room adobe.
Geography and hydrology
Sutter's Fort is located on level ground at an elevation of approximately above mean sea datum. The slope elevation decreases northward toward the American River and westward toward the Sacramento River
The Sacramento River ( es, RÃo Sacramento) is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento†...
. Slope elevation gradually increases to the south and east, away from the rivers. All surface drainage flows toward the Sacramento River. Groundwater in the vicinity flows south-southwest toward the Sacramento Delta
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
. However, after peak rainfall, the Sacramento River swells and the groundwater flow can actually reverse away from the river.'' Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, 2617 K Street, Sacramento, California'', Earth Metrics Inc. Report # 10185, October 3, 1989
See also
* California State Indian Museum * Old Sacramento State Historic Park *History of Sacramento, California
The history of Sacramento, California, began with its founding by Samuel Brannan and John Augustus Sutter, Jr. in 1848 around an Wharf, embarcadero that John Augustus Sutter, his father, John Sutter, Sr. constructed at the confluence of the Americ ...
* List of California State Historic Parks
* California Historical Landmarks in Sacramento County, California
This list includes properties and districts listed on the California Historical Landmark listing in Sacramento County, California. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and districts with latit ...
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Sacramento County, California
__NOTOC__
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Sacramento County, California.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Sacramento Co ...
Further reading
* Gwinn, Herbert D.. (1931). ''The history of Sutter's Fort, 1839–1931''. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/911References
External links
John Bidwell (Sutter's Fort Pioneer Collection), 1841–1902. Collection guide, California State Library, California History Room.
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park official site
Virtual Sutter's Fort Virtual Web Site
Library of Congress, Americas Memory
{{Coord, 38, 34, 24, N, 121, 28, 17, W, region:US-CA_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1839 California Gold Rush Fort California State Historic Parks Museums in Sacramento, California History museums in California Forts in California Military and war museums in California Parks in Sacramento County, California History of Sacramento, California Adobe buildings and structures in California Buildings and structures in Sacramento, California California Historical Landmarks National Historic Landmarks in California Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Sacramento, California 1839 establishments in Alta California Donner Party Landmarks in Sacramento, California Houses in Sacramento County, California