Sutter's Fort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sutter's Fort
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Sutter's Fort 1840s illustration
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 Location in Sacramento, California
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2701 L Street Sacramento, California |
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000221) |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
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Sutter's Fort was a busy farm and trading post in California during the 1800s. It was part of the Mexican province called Alta California. John Sutter started the fort in 1839. He first named the area New Helvetia, which means New Switzerland. The actual fort buildings were started in 1841.
This fort was the first non-Native American settlement in California's Central Valley. Sutter's Fort is famous for its connections to the Donner Party and the exciting California Gold Rush. It also played a big part in the start of the city of Sacramento, which grew up around the fort. The fort was also important because it was near the end of the California Trail and Siskiyou Trail, serving as a stopping point for travelers.
After gold was found at Sutter's Mill (which John Sutter also owned) in Coloma on January 24, 1848, the fort was mostly left empty. The main building, made of adobe (a type of mud brick), has been fixed up to look like it did long ago. Today, California Department of Parks and Recreation takes care of it. Sutter's Fort became a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
Contents
What Was Sutter's Fort Like?
The main building at Sutter's Fort is a two-story structure made of adobe. It was built between 1841 and 1843. This building is the only part of the original fort that still stands today at the Sutter's Fort State Historic Park.
On January 28, 1848, a man named James W. Marshall met with John Sutter inside this building. Marshall showed Sutter the gold he had found just four days earlier. He found it while building Sutter's sawmill along the American River.
John Sutter built the fort with very thick walls. They were about 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) thick and 15 to 18 feet (4.6 to 5.5 meters) high. Many pioneers started living at Sutter's Fort around 1841. But when news of the California Gold Rush spread, most people left the fort by the 1850s. The fort then started to fall apart.
In 1891, a group called the Native Sons of the Golden West bought Sutter's Fort. They wanted to save important places from California's early days. The city of Sacramento had planned to tear it down. The repair work was finished in 1893. The Native Sons of the Golden West then gave the fort to the State of California. In 1947, the fort became part of California State Parks.
Building the Fort
John Sutter and his group arrived on the bank of the American River in August 1839. The group included three Europeans and a Native American boy who likely helped them talk to local people. Most of the first people who joined the colony were Native Hawaiians. Sutter had an agreement with the governor of Hawaii to hire eight men and two women for three years.
After setting up their first camp, Sutter arranged for local Miwok and Nisenan people to build the first building. It was an adobe structure with three rooms.
Where is Sutter's Fort Located?
Sutter's Fort is on flat land, about 20 feet (6.1 meters) above sea level. The ground slopes down towards the American River to the north and the Sacramento River to the west. The ground gently rises to the south and east, away from the rivers. All the water from rain flows towards the Sacramento River.
The underground water in this area usually flows southwest towards the Sacramento Delta. However, when there is a lot of rain and the Sacramento River gets very full, the underground water flow can actually change direction and move away from the river.
Sutter's Landing
Sutter's Landing is the exact spot where Captain John A. Sutter landed in August 1839. He arrived at the American River after traveling up the Sacramento River from Yerba Buena. After landing, Sutter set up a base camp, which later became Sutter's Fort. This landing spot is now a California Historical Landmark, number 591, listed on May 22, 1957.
Coloma Road
The old Coloma Road opened in 1847. It connected Sutter's Fort to the city of Coloma. This was the road Marshall traveled to tell Captain John A. Sutter about finding gold. During the 1849 Gold Rush, thousands of miners used this road to search for gold and claim land.
Coloma Road at Sutter's Fort is California Historical Landmark No. 745. There are two other Coloma Road California Historical Landmarks: Coloma Road, Rescue (No. 748) in Coloma, and No. 747 at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. California's first stagecoach line, the California Stage Company, started using this road in 1849. It was founded by James E. Birch.
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