Weekend Rambler: Updated

To read the plaque click the picture as The Rambler heads to Coloma and the site of gold's discovery at Sutter's Mill by John Marshall and an event that changed not just California and the US but the world at large.

John Sutter needed wood for his fort in what is now Sacramento so he contracted John Marshall to build a mill on the American river's middle fork up in the foothills where wood was ready at hand. The paddle wheel ran the saw blade to make planks in a channel diverted from the main river.

What is left of that diversion channel where John Marshall found those first flecks of gold, within a few feet of here, while making sure the mill had sufficient outflow.

A view of the river at the site

The old El Dorado county jail

Solitary still stands, ouch, and some think Gitmo is bad

Try sitting in there for a few days, its about 85 out and the sunnyside was too warm to leave your hand on, it is about 4' wide,6' deep and 6' tall with an iron mesh floor and ceiling like the ends, a hotbox. Good enough for bandits good enough for jihadis.

Another old stamp mill though this one is fairly complete, the copper tray in the fore was coated with mercury to trap the gold coming from the crushed ore. It was crushed to the consistancy of flour and washed over these treated plates and then treated to a cyanide bath, toxic, eh.

A crew of Mormon's were assisting in building the mill, part of the Mormon Brigades fresh from the Spanish-American War and moving into the Sacramento Valley, after a spat with their landlord they built their own cabin. This is a replica on the original spot and yes the Mormons played a very important role in American history especially in the Western frontier bringing know how and discipline to the rowdy camps.

A look inside, a Ranger was working so I got an inside shot. I don't understand their cooking heating arrangement, no chimney and open grill?, there is a set of bunks to the right.

The old general store, the iron doors had two fire purposes, bullets and wildfire, all the surviving buildings are brick or stone with iron fire doors on all openings, or plain lucky.

Est. 1849, the gunsmith shop, now a tourist shop.

The oldest building left standing, the gunsmith's, a great symol of a spot that literally changed the world and America forever and a salute to our 2nd Amendment.

I have a life so I was too busy to post a Friday Frolic last night, I hope you will forgive me, so here is a delayed link to the Dragon Lady's Fractured Friday, always fun and worth a visit.