California, USA

The first worldwide gold rush took place in California in 1848, when James Marshall discovered gold while building sawmill for John Sutter at Coloma in the foothills of Sierra Nevada. News of his discovery sparked off the greatest migration ever known. Everybody wanted to get to the gold fields. In the beginning there was gold everywhere in large amounts. By the end of the year there were about 5 000 miners active in the gold fields; in three years the number increased to 100 000. By this time, gold was becoming harder to find, the prices of supplies increased, and violence and crime became part of the life in the gold fields. The rule was: ”Work or perish!”

Hydraulic mining was developed in the 1850s, once the easy gold was worked out. In order to liberate gold, high pressure water was used to literally wash away the sides of the mountains. This was an efficient but a devastating way for placer gold mining: the silt and waste blocked the rivers and caused floods. Although hydraulic mining was forbidden in 1880, the scars it caused can still be seen in the landscape.

Due to high costs, commercial mining has become impractical in recent years, but hundreds of enthusiasts still continue to prospect California’s rivers. James Marshall himself died a poor man.