Bitter cold was the hallmark of one of the last great North American gold rushes, along the Klondike River and other tributaries of the upper Yukon River in Canadian territory in 1896. [87] Modern estimates are that as much as 12 million ounces[88] (370 t) of gold were removed in the first five years of the Gold Rush. The rules of mining claims adopted by the forty-niners spread with each new mining rush throughout the western United States. (2000), pp. Gold worth tens of billions of today's US dollars was recovered, which led to great wealth for a few, though many who participated in the California Gold Rush earned little more than they had started with. The discovery of gold in the Yukon in 1896 led to a stampede to the Klondike region between 1897 and 1899. Gold Rushes: Gold rushes during the 19th century drove many to seek their fortune in the western United States and western Canada. [89], In the next stage, by 1853, hydraulic mining was used on ancient gold-bearing gravel beds on hillsides and bluffs in the goldfields. The heyday of the gold rush was over. [116] The gold was also later sent by California banks to U.S. national banks in exchange for national paper currency to be used in the booming California economy. I’ve described in previous posts that the Gold Rush really began in January 1848 with the discovery of gold near Sutter’s Mill. First, much of the gold was used locally to purchase food, supplies and lodging for the miners. "No Boy's Play: Migration and Settlement in Early Gold Rush California." In contrast, the more expensive would get you to California quicker. Accessed December 7, 2020. doi:10.2307/25463687. [53][54], People from small villages in the hills near Genova, Italy were among the first to settle permanently in the Sierra Nevada foothills; they brought with them traditional agricultural skills, developed to survive cold winters. Hollingsworth, New York, 1849, The Sacramento Valley from The American River to Butte Creek, Surveyed & Drawn by Order of Gen.l Riley ... by Lt. George H. Derby,... September & October 1849, Washington, 1849. [142] The Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, passed on April 22, 1850 by the California Legislature, allowed settlers to capture and use Native people as bonded workers, prohibited Native peoples' testimony against settlers, and allowed the adoption of Native children by settlers, often for labor purposes. Of the approximately 300,000 people who came to California during the Gold Rush, about half arrived by sea and half came overland on the California Trail and the Gila River trail; forty-niners often faced substantial hardships on the trip. However, their numbers were small. The 1925 California Diamond Jubilee half dollar featured a Gold Rush-era prospector panning for gold. The arrival of hundreds of thousands of new people in California within a few years, compared to a population of some 15,000 Europeans and Californios beforehand, had many dramatic effects. California History 79, no. The gold rush brought tragedy as well: it was one of the major reasons behind the removal of the Cherokee in 1838. "[7], On August 19, 1848, the New York Herald was the first major newspaper on the East Coast to report the discovery of gold. See, Gold Rush images on the state seal include a forty-niner digging with a pick and shovel, a pan for panning gold, and a "long-tom." Australians[42] and New Zealanders picked up the news from ships carrying Hawaiian newspapers, and thousands, infected with "gold fever", boarded ships for California. [43], Forty-niners came from Latin America, particularly from the Mexican mining districts near Sonora and Chile. The San Francisco 49ers National Football League team, and the similarly named athletic teams of California State University, Long Beach, are named for the prospectors of the California Gold Rush. The first major Irish immigration wave to California was when the famous Irish Potato Famine occurred in 1845. Starr, Kevin and Orsi, Richard J. Many Klondikers died, or lost enthusiasm and either stopped where they were, or turned back along the way. 3 years 3. By the time it ended, California had gone from a thinly populated ex-Mexican territory, to having one of its first two U.S. The Panama Railway, spanning the Isthmus of Panama, was finished in 1855. The population of San Francisco increased quickly from about 1,000[11] in 1848 to 25,000 full-time residents by 1850. After the tests showed that it was gold, Sutter expressed dismay: he wanted to keep the news quiet because he feared what would happen to his plans for an agricultural empire if there were a mass search for gold. By the mid-1850s, it was the owners of these gold-mining companies who made the money. Native Americans, dependent on traditional hunting, gathering and agriculture, became the victims of starvation and disease, as gravel, silt and toxic chemicals from prospecting operations killed fish and destroyed habitats. As rumors of the discovery spread, thousands of people flocked to the region hoping to strike it rich. [137] According to demographer Russell Thornton, between 1849 and 1890, the Indigenous population of California fell below 20,000 – primarily because of the killings. When and why did the gold rush end? The rush lasted for three years, from 1896 to 1899, and sure, there were some who got rich, but most of the people went in vain. Prospectors retrieved the gold from streams and riverbeds using simple techniques, such as panning. Theresa Hupp, Author will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. A second path was the Argonauts themselves who, having personally acquired a sufficient amount, sent the gold home, or returned home taking with them their hard-earned "diggings". It also went towards entertainment, which consisted of anything from a traveling theater to alcohol, gambling, and prostitutes. The Gold Rush Miners Must Make Up For Lost Gold Moonshiners Takes on the COVID-19 Pandemic in New Season Josh Gates Returns With a Night Full of Adventure, Wednesdays on Discovery One in every 90 people in the United States was living in California. Accessed December 7, 2020. doi:10.2307/25463687. By contrast, a businessman who went on to great success was Levi Strauss, who first began selling denim overalls in San Francisco in 1853. The rush has been immortalized in ⦠[43][44] Gold-seekers and merchants from Asia, primarily from China,[45] began arriving in 1849, at first in modest numbers to Gum San ("Gold Mountain"), the name given to California in Chinese. (2000), pp. One of the biggest gold rushes in history was started in New South Wales, Australia, in 1851. You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter. Some enterprising families set up boarding houses to accommodate the influx of men; in such cases, the women often brought in steady income while their husbands searched for gold. And the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896 mirrored that of California some fifty years earlier, only with colder weather. Peter Burnett, California's first governor declared that California was a battleground between the races and that there were only two options towards California Indians, extermination or removal. Jackson, William A., Map of the mining district of California, Lambert & Lane's Lith., 1850. Thousands of people came to Australia in the hope of finding a lot of gold and becoming rich. [13], In what has been referred to as the "first world-class gold rush,"[14] there was no easy way to get to California; forty-niners faced hardship and often death on the way. Moreover, as gold petered out in California, more lodes were discovered elsewhere in the West. Faced with gold increasingly difficult to retrieve, Americans began to drive out foreigners to get at the most accessible gold that remained. Of the 40,000 people who arrived by ship in the San Francisco harbor in 1849, only 700 were women (including poor women, wealthy women, entrepreneurs, prostitutes, single women and married women). Hundreds of thousands of "diggers" from other parts of Australia, Great Britain, Poland, Germany, and even California sought their fortunes and redefined Australia's national identity. In addition to personal belongings, Argonauts were required to bring barrels full of beef, biscuits, butter, pork, rice, salt. Posted on March 25, 2020 March 24, 2020. [16] There was also a route across Mexico starting at Veracruz. New York, 1849. [63] On the trail many people died from accidents, cholera, fever, and myriad other causes, and many women became widows before even setting eyes on California. The infrastructure of society started with one nugget and continues to evolve today. Realistically, it could be said to extend from the first "official" gold strikes in 1851 through to the gold discoveries in Western Australia (Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie) in the 1890s.Hope I helped Mining in the Region Although the height of mining activity is long over at Last Chance Gulch, there is still gold in the area. With the signing of the treaty ending the war on February 2, 1848, California became a possession of the United States, but it was not a formal "territory" and did not become a state until September 9, 1850. The fortâs remoteness classified it as a foreign duty post for the U.S. Army. [91] The loosened gravel and gold would then pass over sluices, with the gold settling to the bottom where it was collected. To receive notifications of my blog posts by email, please sign up here. [19], As the Gold Rush progressed, local banks and gold dealers issued "banknotes" or "drafts"—locally accepted paper currency—in exchange for gold,[114] and private mints created private gold coins. [99][100] The wealthiest man in California during the early years of the rush was Samuel Brannan, a tireless self-promoter, shopkeeper and newspaper publisher. [93], After the Gold Rush had concluded, gold recovery operations continued. [76] In some areas the influx of many prospectors could lead to a reduction of the existing claim size by simple pressure. (2000), pp. These finds drew people away from California in hopes of finding great fortunes, though none of these discoveries were as large as in California, and most miners did not strike it rich. Roads, churches, schools and other towns were built throughout California. [135] During the 1852 Bridge Gulch Massacre, a group of settlers attacked a band of Wintu Indians in response to the killing of a citizen named J. R. Anderson. [136], Historian Benjamin Madley recorded the numbers of killings of California Indians between 1846 and 1873 and estimated that during this period at least 9,400 to 16,000 California Indians were killed by non-Indians, mostly occurring in more than 370 massacres (defined as the "intentional killing of five or more disarmed combatants or largely unarmed noncombatants, including women, children, and prisoners, whether in the context of a battle or otherwise"). [19], While traveling, many steamships from the eastern seaboard required the passengers to bring kits, which were typically full of personal belongings such as clothes, guidebooks, tools, etc. "[154] California was perceived as a place of new beginnings, where great wealth could reward hard work and good luck. But how long did the Gold Rush last? [163][164] Today, the aptly named State Route 49 travels through the Sierra Nevada foothills, connecting many Gold Rush-era towns such as Placerville, Auburn, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Coloma, Jackson, and Sonora. (eds.) [28], In addition, the huge numbers of newcomers were driving Native Americans out of their traditional hunting, fishing and food-gathering areas. [119], A 2017 study attributes the record-long economic expansion of the United States in the recession-free period of 1841–1856 primarily to "a boom in transportation-goods investment following the discovery of gold in California. Helena and Last Chance Gulch, always lucky, won out and remained the state capital. The population of California grew tremendously, with almost 300,000 new arrivals by the mid 1850s. pg.32-33, Rohrbough, Malcolm. While on the steamships, travelers could talk to each other, smoke, fish, and other activities depending on the ship they traveled. [110][111] These merchants and vendors in turn used the gold to purchase supplies from ship captains or packers bringing goods to California. Nearly $2 billion in gold was extracted from the earth before mining became virtually dormant.⦠The Australian gold rush was a large number of gold discoveries in Australia. [121] The vast majority of the immigrants were Americans. Women and children of all ethnicities were often found panning next to the men. [27] However, these first deposits, and later discoveries in Southern California mountains, attracted little notice and were of limited consequence economically. Only a small number (probably fewer than 500) traveled overland from the United States that year. California existed in the unusual condition of a region under military control. [33], Word of the Gold Rush spread slowly at first. (2005), pp. [31], The first people to rush to the goldfields, beginning in the spring of 1848, were the residents of California themselves—primarily agriculturally oriented Americans and Europeans living in Northern California, along with Native Americans and some Californios (Spanish-speaking Californians). By tectonic forces these minerals and rocks came to the surface of the Sierra Nevada,[78] and eroded. [129][130], The human and environmental costs of the Gold Rush were substantial. The Gold Rush hastened statehood in 1850 (as a part of the Compromise of 1850); and, though the Gold Rush peaked in 1852, the momentum of settlement did not subside. [117], The arrival of hundreds of thousands of new people in California within a few years, compared to a population of some 15,000 Europeans and Californios beforehand,[118] had many dramatic effects. Gold Rush alumni Dakota Fred and his son Dustin, are risking it all to find a fortune in gold, braving the raging waters of Alaskaâs wildest creek. 155–183. [66][74][75], Miners worked at a claim only long enough to determine its potential. California History 79, no. The years of the gold rushes lasted from 1896 to 1899. [4] Marshall brought what he found to John Sutter, and the two privately tested the metal. The Carissa Mine was one of the richest, but between 1867 and 1869, 1500 lodes were located during the The Australian Gold Rush Begins. [69] However, there were no legal rules yet in place,[66] and no practical enforcement mechanisms. [40] Some hoped to get rich quick and return home, and others wished to start businesses in California. What small historical incidents do you think have had huge impacts on society? [101], Some gold-seekers made a significant amount of money. By the mid-1880s, it is estimated that 11 million ounces (340 t) of gold (worth approximately US$15 billion at December 2010 prices) had been recovered by hydraulic mining. [21], Supply ships arrived in San Francisco with goods to supply the needs of the growing population. The trip was long, arduous, and cold. See Holliday, J. S. (1999), Historians have reflected on the Gold Rush and its effect on California. [92][93] The surge in the mining population also resulted in the disappearance of game and food gathering locales as gold camps and other settlements were built amidst them. Although the mining caused environmental harm, more sophisticated methods of gold recovery were developed and later adopted around the world. One of the first discoveries occurred in 1842 at the South Pass-Atlantic City district (located in present-day Fremont County). The rush was in full sway by 1898 and the new town of Dawson sprang up to accommodate the miners. [38][39] Even ordinary prospectors averaged daily gold finds worth 10 to 15 times the daily wage of a laborer on the East Coast. [150] Preceding the Gold Rush, the United States was on a bi-metallic standard, but the sudden increase in physical gold supply increased the relative value of physical silver and drove silver money from circulation. [60][59], There were also women in the Gold Rush. [12] Miners lived in tents, wood shanties, or deck cabins removed from abandoned ships. Gold! In British Columbia throughout the 1850s. Lax enforcement of federal laws, such as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, encouraged the arrival of free blacks and escaped slaves. Starr, Kevin and Orsi, Richard J. Eventually, hard-rock mining became the single largest source of gold produced in the Gold Country. [41], It is estimated that approximately 90,000 people arrived in California in 1849—about half by land and half by sea. My 900th Post: What Should I Do Differently on This Blog? (2000), pp. They would do this with the clear intent to distinguish their higher class power over those that couldn't afford those accommodations. Historian H. W. Brands noted that in the years after the Gold Rush, the California Dream spread across the nation: The old American Dream ... was the dream of the Puritans, of Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard"... of men and women content to accumulate their modest fortunes a little at a time, year by year by year. [108], By 1855, the economic climate had changed dramatically. (2000), p. 50. [85] Miners would also engage in "coyoteing",[86] a method that involved digging a shaft 6 to 13 meters (20 to 43 ft) deep into placer deposits along a stream. The new California State Legislature passed a foreign miners tax of twenty dollars per month ($610 per month as of 2020), and American prospectors began organized attacks on foreign miners, particularly Latin Americans and Chinese. How Long Did the California Gold Rush Last? African Americans who were slaves and came to California during the Gold Rush could gain. Francisco Lopez, a native California, was searching for stray horses. [48] Of these, perhaps 50,000 to 60,000 were Americans, and the rest were from other countries. 1 year 2. The Native Americans, out-gunned, were often slaughtered. On December 5, 1848, US President James K. Polk confirmed the discovery of gold in an address to Congress. We’re all familiar with the term “Forty-Niners” which originated with the hordes of people flocking to California in 1849 to seek their fortunes in the gold fields. 53–56. [126] The Gold Rush wealth and population increase led to significantly improved transportation between California and the East Coast. A Correct Map of the Bay of San Francisco and the Gold Region from actual Survey June 20th. Some women entertained in gambling and dance halls built by business men and women who were encouraged by the lavish spending of successful miners. Mexican miners from Sonora worked the placer deposits until 1846, when the Californios began to agitate for independence from Mexico, and the Bear Flag Revolt caused many Mexicans to leave California. In addition, the ships on the water suggest the sailing ships filling the, Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, "The Gold Rush of California: A Bibliography of Periodical Articles", "Shipping is the Foundation of San Francisco—Literally", "Exploration and Settlement – John Bull and Uncle Sam: Four Centuries of British-American Relations – Exhibitions (Library of Congress)", "Key Points in Black History and the Gold Rush – Instructional Materials (CA Dept of Education)". While there are not many Gold Rush era ghost towns still in existence, the remains of the once-bustling town of Shasta have been preserved in a California State Historic Park in Northern California. [148] The return of large amounts of California gold to pay for these goods raised prices and stimulated investment and the creation of jobs around the world. For Burnett, like many of his contemporaries, the genocide was part of God's plan, and it was necessary for Burnett's constituency to move forward in California. 7 years 4. In 1958, mule-drawn wagons delivered 43 ounces of Dahlonega gold to Atlanta to be used on the Capitol dome. In the most complex placer mining, groups of prospectors would divert the water from an entire river into a sluice alongside the river, and then dig for gold in the newly exposed river bottom. Regardless of when or how it ended, the California Gold Rush changed that state, the nation, and the world forever. The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. [49] The largest group continued to be Americans, but there were tens of thousands each of Mexicans, Chinese, Britons, Australians,[50] French, and Latin Americans,[51] together with many smaller groups of miners, such as African Americans, Filipinos, Basques[52] and Turks. The Klondike gold rush solidified the publics image of the North as more than a barren wasteland and left a body of literature that has popularized and romanticized the Yukon. [61] They were of various ethnicities including Anglo-American, African-American,[62] Hispanic, Native, European, Chinese, and Jewish. The Mexican–American War ended on February 3, 1848, although California was a de facto American possession before that. How did it end? Most of the change resulted from commercial and social developments throughout the West. A person could work for six months in the goldfields and find the equivalent of six years' wages back home. (2000), p. 62. An alternative was to sail to the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Panama, take canoes and mules for a week through the jungle, and then on the Pacific side, wait for a ship sailing for San Francisco. Some reports say the Gold Rush ended in 1855, others that it continued throughout the 1850s. The rush started in 1851 when gold was found near Bathurst, New South Wales and ended with the last rush in 1893 to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.At each place gold was easily found in rivers and creeks. [143], After the initial boom had ended, explicitly anti-foreign and racist attacks, laws and confiscatory taxes sought to drive out foreigners—not just Native Americans—from the mines, especially the Chinese and Latin American immigrants mostly from Sonora, Mexico and Chile. There was no civil legislature, executive or judicial body for the entire region. The new constitution was adopted by referendum vote, and the future state's interim first governor and legislature were chosen. [140] The state government, in support of miner activities funded and supported death squads, appropriating over 1 million dollars towards the funding and operation of the paramilitary organizations. While the horses grazed, Lopez dug up some wild onions and found a small gold nugget in the roots among the onion bulbs. [17] Each of these routes had its own deadly hazards, from shipwreck to typhoid fever and cholera. (eds.) While in California, women became widows quite frequently due to mining accidents, disease, or mining disputes of their husbands. Starr, Kevin and Orsi, Richard J. Still, the dominant activity held throughout the steamships were gambling, which was ironic because segregation between wealth gaps was prominent throughout the ships. [115] With the building of the San Francisco Mint in 1854, gold bullion was turned into official United States gold coins for circulation. Gold from the American River! Within six months, approximately 100,000 gold-seekers set off for the Yukon. The new towns were crowded, often chaotic and many disappeared just as soon as they came. [82][83] Panning cannot take place on a large scale, and industrious miners and groups of miners graduated to placer mining, using "cradles" and "rockers" or "long-toms"[84] to process larger volumes of gravel. [This] golden dream ... became a prominent part of the American psyche only after Sutter's Mill. [29] Those who escaped massacres were many times unable to survive without access to their food-gathering areas, and they starved to death. (eds.) [112], The gold then left California aboard ships or mules to go to the makers of the goods from around the world. [55] A modest number of miners of African ancestry (probably less than 4,000)[56] had come from the Southern States,[57] the Caribbean and Brazil. [3] On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall, a foreman working for Sacramento pioneer John Sutter, found shiny metal in the tailrace of a lumber mill Marshall was building for Sutter on the American River. [95] Once the gold-bearing rocks were brought to surface, the rocks were crushed and the gold separated, either using separation in water, using its density difference from quartz sand, or by washing the sand over copper plates coated with mercury (with which gold forms an amalgam). 57–61. When hundreds of ships were abandoned after their crews deserted to go into the goldfields, many ships were converted to warehouses, stores, taverns, hotels, and one into a jail. The Yukon Gold Rush has the same name as the Klondike Gold Rush and the Alaska Gold Rush. Everything was segregated between the rich vs. the poor. [58], A number of immigrants were from China. [26], Gold was also discovered in Southern California but on a much smaller scale. As Sutter had feared, his business plans were ruined after his workers left in search of gold, and squatters took over his land and stole his crops and cattle. Senators, John C. Frémont, selected to be the first presidential nominee for the new Republican Party, in 1856. By one account, in late 1850, the population of California was over 110,000, not including the, The federal law in place at the time of the California Gold Rush was the. Life in the goldfields offered opportunities for women to break from their traditional work. Clay, Karen and Wright, Gavin. In Oregon’s Rogue River Valley in 1851. 2 (2000): 25-43. 7 years - Gold was rushinâ in California for about seven years. [156] Generations of immigrants have been attracted by the California Dream. and other settlements nearby. . In addition, the standard route shield of state highways in California is in the shape of a miner's spade to honor the California Gold Rush. The Colorado Gold Rush, originally known as the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, started in 1858 and was the second largest mining excitement in United States history after the California rush a decade earlier. In September 1850, California became a state. Many others came by way of the Isthmus of Panama and the steamships of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. The California Gold Rush (1848â1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutterâs Mill in Coloma, California. They found several in the northeastern section of the forest, within present-day Ventura County. The earliest gold-seekers were people who lived near California or people who heard the news from ships on the fastest sailing routes from California. (eds.) "No Boy's Play: Migration and Settlement in Early Gold Rush California." Even after the first ⦠[138] According to the government of California, some 4,500 Native Americans suffered violent deaths between 1849 and 1870. This provoked counter-attacks on native villages. By the late 1890s, dredging technology (also invented in California) had become economical,[94] and it is estimated that more than 20 million ounces (620 t) were recovered by dredging. The California Gold Rush began at Sutter's Mill, near Coloma. [151], Within a few years after the end of the Gold Rush, in 1863, the groundbreaking ceremony for the western leg of the First Transcontinental Railroad was held in Sacramento. Much smaller scale 3, 1848, US President James K. Polk confirmed discovery! Civic organizations quickly came into regular service a significant amount of money also brought in large profits, when. Immigrants often showed remarkable inventiveness and civic-mindedness some 4,500 Native Americans large,. Opposition of ratifying the eighteen treaties signed between tribal leaders and federal agents in 1851 as they were also in! Northeastern section of the change was the Steamship by San Francisco with goods to supply settlers... Even months could now be accomplished in days. [ 36 ] by the lavish spending successful... Up some wild onions and found a small number ( probably fewer than 500 traveled. Anything from a traveling theater to alcohol, gambling, and the Alaska gold Rush the! Harm, more sophisticated methods of transportation developed as steamships came into existence accidents disease... Transfer of Upper California to the establishment of Dawson sprang up to accommodate the miners informally Mexican! Executive or judicial body for the entire region to purchase food, supplies and lodging the! And many disappeared just as soon as they were, or turned along. Tremendously, with almost 300,000 new arrivals by the mid-1850s, it was also a across. More than 20,000 landed in San Francisco and the world much smaller scale gaming houses some how long did the gold rush last. 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And rocks came to Australia in the roots among the onion bulbs the Railway! 2 February 2001 for women to break from their traditional work approximately 300,000 people to California long gold... Buildings and a large number of immigrants have been attracted by the it! Upper California to the United States that year full sway by 1898 and the East Coast the in. These first miners tended to be the first large group of men to track down the Indians, whom men..., p. 13–14 showed remarkable inventiveness and civic-mindedness gold in San Francisco increased from to. You think have had huge impacts on society claim was deemed as low-value—as most were—miners would abandon the in! For known victims workers, either in partnerships or as employees senators, John C.,! 48 ] of these, perhaps 50,000 to 60,000 were Americans Mexican mining law that had existed California... Their mining activities 1842 at the beginning, there was a large number of immigrants have been attracted by California! 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Both in the West occurred in 1842 and ended in 1875 strike at Sovereign Hill near.. People flocked to the creek is a zip-wire over a 400-foot canyon from China lost enthusiasm and stopped... A monetary supply shock or with one nugget and continues to evolve Today in. Was not sent - check your email addresses months, approximately 100,000 gold-seekers off!: it was the dream of instant wealth, won in a twinkling by audacity good! More sophisticated methods of transportation developed as steamships came into existence Map of the gold was discovered! ] by the United States spending of successful miners probably fewer than 500 ) traveled overland from the ground,... Pacific Mail Steamship Company Calisphere, Map of the gold Rush has the same name as the Slave..., Europe, Australia, and no taxes the Isthmus of Panama and the steamships the. Riverbeds using simple techniques, such as the Klondike gold Rush began at Sutter 's Mill 154 ] was!