Gold-Filled Gala

It all began 150 years ago at the sawmill that John Marshall, a carpenter from New Jersey, was building for John Sutter on the south fork of the American River about 45 miles east and south of Sacramento. Inspecting the raceway of clear, cold water, Marshall reached down and grabbed a handful of stones and noticed that one had a strange appearance. His reputed exclamation: “Hey boys, by God, I believe I’ve found a gold mine!”

California was here long before the discovery of gold, of course. But Marshall’s find touched off a feverish period in the state’s history leading to the gold rush of 1849 and admission to the Union as the 31st state on Sept. 9, 1850.

All of this will be celebrated during the coming 33 months at events coordinated by the California Sesquicentennial Commission, chaired by Kevin Starr, the historian and state librarian. The first major event will be a reenactment of the Marshall discovery at Coloma on Jan. 24. At the same time, a major historical exhibit on the gold rush will open at the Oakland Museum of California.

Another highlight of 1998 will be a gold panning contest in Coloma Sept. 28-Oct. 3. The big events of 1999 include a tall ships race and a fair in Sacramento to celebrate the history and technology of the railroad.

So far, the sesquicentennial is off to a modest start with little public attention. The commission was created by executive order of Gov. Pete Wilson in 1994. It had a $1.4-million allocation of start-up money last year and a budget of $970,000 this fiscal year, ending next June 30. A staff of about a dozen is toiling in offices of the state Library and Courts Building in Sacramento.

The idea is that a private sesquicentennial foundation working in parallel with the commission will raise money through corporate sponsorships to provide the major financing needed. The plan is for the level of the state appropriation to taper off as private financing increases. The commission hopes to announce at least one major sponsor soon.

The gold rush may seem remote to many Californians today but undoubtedly was the major event in California’s development, at least until World War II. While it’s a bit hard to focus on a celebration spread out over 33 months, this is a good time for all of us to learn more of our state’s history. And California hasn’t had a real celebration for some while. Times are good. A new millennium is coming. The sesquicentennial seems to be a fine reason for a party.