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| Sutter's Mill |
This time of day was just about the only part of life that James Marshall enjoyed: Seeing the West reflected into the East, changing the sky into a sky of molten gold.
James chuckled bitterly…molten gold… His own gold, now long gone, was only brass in his mind. His mind was filled with what-ifs about the past, when he found gold flakes which had ruined his life, ruined his life but good.
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| Where Marshall found gold flakes |
If only John Sutter had been just a smidgen parsimonious. Sutter spent money he did not have, borrowed money he could not repay, and lost his own fortune. Damn fool. Marshall spit tobacco onto what had once been a mecca for gold diggers.
Marshall clenched his misshapen hands when he thought about Sutter. All the work Marshall had done, breaking bones in his hands, and for nothing. No blessings showered on me then. Or now.
With all that could have been, Marshall could not gain any traction in keeping his sawmill running. His workers had dropped their tools and picked up pans, running to the American River. Penniless again.
He pleaded with the California State Legislature and they awarded him with a two-year pension. What he really desired was some investigative search into the theft of his future.
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Re-creation of James Marshall's homesteader cabin at the end of his life-- While on a field trip of middle-schoolers, I saw this. Pretty sparse. |
So here he sat, gazing at the dusky sky disappear, before he arose and went into his homestead shack. If only, if only…
The underlined words are from March 2015 Wednesday Words, donated by fellow blogger Delores, and has since been continued by other bloggers. These awesome writers, Elephant's Child, Mark Koopman, River can provide these interesting words.
When I was teaching middle school, we took 5th-8th students to Sacramento for two overnights. Visiting this site was part of our trip; I do not know if the students understood the impact of this part of history or not.
Gold was discovered on January 24, 1848
The underlined words are from March 2015 Wednesday Words, donated by fellow blogger Delores, and has since been continued by other bloggers. These awesome writers, Elephant's Child, Mark Koopman, River can provide these interesting words.
When I was teaching middle school, we took 5th-8th students to Sacramento for two overnights. Visiting this site was part of our trip; I do not know if the students understood the impact of this part of history or not.
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| monument plaque |
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| Marshall pointing toward the Mill |
Sad story. The gold rush ruined many lives, I'd wager.
ReplyDeleteThe Gold Rush surely was a family breaker.
DeleteI do enjoy these short stories and the history lesson this time. BUT I cannot imagine herding a middle school on an OVER_NITE anything! Y'all be brave teachers......
ReplyDeleteLove from a 50 degree Florida at noon. Just a little unusual....
Let me tell you, the trip was hell. It was 2 nights, had to share a room with 4 female students. they hated it and I hated it. Other than that, it was great. The other teacher (a young unmarried man) was seriously lacking in commonsense.
DeleteThis was an interesting look at the history involving a particular person. That is what makes history worth learning.
ReplyDeleteWhen our guide told us this remaining part of Marshall's life(the underlined words were from Wed. Words) and I saw the inside, I was saddened by his life. His daughters went to the CA gov't to obtain enough money to provide for his remaining life.
DeleteLoved revisiting this W4W tale.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, gold made some people fortunes, and broke other people's hearts, minds and bodies.
It broke more people than it gave riches to a few.
DeleteSacramento provided a view of that time period.
Now that cabin is "rustic"
ReplyDeleteHave seen many dilapidated cabins like that out in the woods near my old hometown.
DeleteChasing that dream of striking gold, a bust for most people. Like the looks of the cabin.
ReplyDeleteIt is a replication of the original, altho in much better shape. I looked inside and there was a sparsity of any furniture. A sad ending.
DeleteWe can learn a lot from history.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Greed is one of those things.
DeleteThis story, like all of them from the gold rush is fascinating. But so sad. And you did an awesome job telling it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and enjoying this. If he not had some daughters, he might have starved to death.
DeleteLuck was not a lady to most of those who came for gold.
ReplyDeleteWho were the most successful? The store and suppliers who collected so much money found great success throughout their descendants.
DeleteAt least he's a part of history...
ReplyDeleteHe and Sutter will find their places in history.
DeleteSuch a bleak existence when hopes and dreams are shattered. Sutter's Mill looks like it could use some TLC.
ReplyDeleteIf it could be reconstructed, who knows what it would be.
DeleteHi there, I just want to thank you for your kind comments and visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to your next post.
DeleteWe always hear of Sutter. Nothing of James Marshall. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteOne dreams and then fails is what Marshall found.
DeleteWhenever I see these old buildings that people used to live in, I wonder how they did it.
ReplyDeleteExactly my thoughts. a few planks nailed together.
DeleteDear Susan, I Follow the blog Elephant's Child (Sue G) and sometimes do try on her blog to use the words to write a very short story. Your posting here is the first time it ever occurred to me that we might take the words and write a story to post on our own blog! You are such a creative, imaginative genius!!!!!! Peace.
ReplyDeleteYou honor to much. Take though few words and see what one can make. With your brain, it would be great to sew what you can do.
Deleteunwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal - Yep, had to look that one up. LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat information. I think get rich quick - only works for those already there!
Too greedy, keep digging even though you found a few flakes.
DeleteGet rich quick - big part of California's heritage. See: John Steinbeck.
ReplyDeleteGet rich or die poor. Pretty much the way of life their.
DeleteIs it not the function of the teacher to explain the context of the history to the students?
ReplyDeletethis is sad dear Susan
ReplyDeletei have seen movies about gold seeker and no one happily lived after
yet if it is just about setting goal and trying to chase ,not bad to have one