Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where to see Gold Rush
San Francisco
Little remains of the Gold Rush city,
but you can get a feel for this era at
the Wells Fargo History Museum
(see
p112)
, the Bank of California's Museum
of Money in the American West
(p114)
,
or the Oakland Museum
(see pp168-9).
Scales used by Wells Fargo
Ragged Gold Miner
A weary prospector
endures the long trek
to the gold fields; many
returned empty-handed.
Burlesque theater
was a popular
entertainment in
the growing city.
Wells Fargo administrators
Tall ships
brought
gold seekers from all
over the world.
News of Gold Reaches New York
Confirmed by President Polk on December 5,
1848, the gold find inspired thousands to
head west.
Panning for Gold
In 1849, more than
90,000 “Forty-Niners” passed
through San Francisco. They
faced long, hard hours
panning for gold in the
streams of the Sacramento
Valley and Sierra Nevadas.
Montgomery Street in 1852
This street was the business center. Here
Wells Fargo, whose stagecoaches brought
goods to the miners and carried back gold,
built the city's first brick building.
1836
Juan Batista Alvarado
marches on Monterey and
declares California a “free
sovereign state” within the
Mexican republic
1846
Bear Flag Revolt is led by
explorer John Fremont and
settlers in May. US troops occupy
state capital (Monterey) on July 7
and take Yerba Buena on July 9
1851
Clipper
Flying Cloud
takes
89 days to reach
San Francisco
from New York
1840
1850
1847
Village of Yerba
Buena is officially renamed
San Francisco. City now
comprises 200 buildings
with 800 inhabitants
1848
Gold discovered by John
Marshall in Sierra Nevada foothills,
starting the Gold Rush of 1849
John Fremont
1813-90
