The Land of Glittering Dreams

Links

Below are sites relating to the Mother Lode region, California history and photography. Enjoy.

Mother Lode

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park - The site where it all began in 1848.

Gold Discovery Park Association - Support group for Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.

California State Parks - Gold Country

California History

The Gold Rush | American Experience - Website for PBS show, American Experience, episode on the California gold rush.

Gold Rush! California's Untold Stories - The Oakland Museum’s extensive web site of their exhibit.

The Discovery of Gold in California by Gen. John A. Sutter - from Hutchings’ California Magazine, November 1857

Land of Golden Dreams: California in the Gold Rush Decade 1848 - 1858 - Online exhibit by the Huntington Library with manuscripts, drawings and printed materials from their collection.

California History Online: The Gold Rush - By the California Historical Society.

California As We Saw It: Exploring the California Gold Rush - An online exhibit by the California State Library.

California Cultures 1848 - 1865: Gold Rush, Statehood, and the Western Movement - University of California at Berkeley's site on the gold rush.

Early California History: An Overview - Part of the American Memory site by the Library of Congress.

California State Historical Landmarks - Personal site by David Schmitt with list of historical landmarks.

Nancy Gooch - Nancy and Peter Gooch were slaves brought to California in 1850 by their owners. When California became a state shortly after their arrival one of the state laws prohibited slavery. Nancy and Peter were both forcefully freed by their owners. Nancy worked for the miners doing domestic chores such as sewing, cooking and washing. She saved every penny she could until she had enough to buy the freedom of her only son, Andrew Monroe and his wife Sarah, who were slaves in Missouri. Over time the family acquired and owned much of the land in the Coloma area, including the site where Sutter’s saw mill had originally been built.

Mining in Nevada County - Deer Creek School’s project website on Nevada County mining history. Good for students researching the Gold Rush and gold mining.

Gold Mining

Gold Mines of Los Angeles County

Gold Panning Instructions - From the Prospecting and Mining Journal

In New California Gold Rush, Old Mines Reopen - New York Times article, Feb. 11, 2011

Historic Travel

Wagons West - Offers a unique vacation, ride in an authentic re-creation of a pioneer covered wagon train traveling through scenic areas near the Tetons in Wyoming.

Photography

The Ansel Adams Gallery - Online store offering the only photographs still being printed from Ansel’s negatives as well as reproductions of his work, posters, and more.

Kodak: Taking Great Pictures - Offers tips for amateur photographers.