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Honored at Last
Never a good businessman, James Marshall failed to profit from the many opportunities the gold rush offered. He ended his days as a carpenter and blacksmith in Kelsey, unrecognized officially for his unique role in history.
After Marshall's death in 1885, local and state figures made plans to honor that role. Originating with the Placerville Parlor of Native Sons, the idea of a monument was suggested to the State Legislature, which appropriated a total of $9,000. On May 3, 1890, a crowd of 3,500 gathered at his hill-top gravesite for the unveiling ceremony, listening to poems, prayers, band music, and speeches praising Marshall and the forty-niners.
The statue is constructed at "statuary bronze," an alloy of lead, tin, and zinc painted a bronze color. Marshall points to the place on the American River where he discovered gold. To find that place yourself, take the "Discovery Trail" that starts at the replica of Sutter's sawmill, opposite the visitor center. |