John Sutter
Encyclopedia
Johann Augus Sutter was a Swiss
pioneer of California
known for his association with the California Gold Rush
by the discovery of gold
by James W. Marshall
and the mill making team at Sutter's Mill
, and for establishing Sutter's Fort
in the area that would eventually become Sacramento
, the state's
capital. Although famous throughout California for his association with the Gold Rush, Sutter died almost poor, having seen his business ventures fail while those of his elder son, John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
, were more successful.
John Augustus Sutter was born Johann August Suter on February 15, 1803 in Kandern
, Baden, Germany
, when his father came from the nearby town of Rünenberg
in Switzerland
. He went to school in in Neuchâtel, Switzerland
and later joined the Swiss army, eventually becoming captain of the artillery. Debts incurred in business dealings, however, compelled Sutter to leave Europe
for the United States
. In May 1834, he left his wife and five children in Burgdorf, Switzerland, and with a French
passport
he came on board the ship Sully which travelled from Le Havre, France, to New York City
where it arrived on July 14, 1834.
John Sutter established Sutter’s Fort in 1839. He had to make peace with the Indians . The Indians and Sutter became friends and the Indians made Sutter a house. John Sutter called the place New Helvetia or “ New Switzerland.” Sutter’s Fort had a central building made of adobe bricks, surrounded by a high wall with protection on opposite corners to guard against attack. It also had workshops and stores that produced all goods necessary for the New Helvetia settlement. In 1848, one of Sutter’s most trusted employees, named James Marshall, found gold at Sutter’s Mill. At first, they kept it a secret. Soon, everyone heard about the gold they found and headed to California. This event was called the Gold Rush.
John Sutter tried to mine for gold but he was not successful. At one point, he hired other men to mine for him. He soon found out they were keeping most of the gold for themselves and giving him a little. Soon he went back to Sutter’s Fort. Even if most of his employees left to go to the gold mines, John did not give up. He opened stores and rented spaces to other merchants too. But more trouble came to Sutter’s Fort. The rushing mobs of goldseekers tore out fences that got in their way. Whenever fences got torn down, Sutter’s animals broke out. John needed money because he had no livestock or crops to sell. The only thing he had left to sell was his land. He designed and laid out the boundaries and plots of land for a new town on a large portion of his property. Proudly he named the town Sutterville. He thought the town would be a big hit. But no one wanted to buy his town. So he decided to sell his other land. But the agents who agreed to sell portions of his property cheated him out of his money. He was in debt once again.
Sutter ended up giving his son his remaining land, and his son
started making plans to build a new city called Sacramento. Sutter gave up New Helvetia to pay the last of his debts. He rejoined his family and lived in Hock Farm
. John Sutter got a letter of introduction to the Congress of the United States from the governor of California. He moved to Washington D.C. Soon after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, John Sutter and Nanette moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania. But John made trips back to Washington every so often. John Sutter died in a Washington D.C. hotel room on June 19, 1880.
In North America, John Augustus Sutter (as he would call himself for the rest of his life) undertook extensive travels. Before he went to the U.S., he learned Spanish and English. Together with 35 Germans
he moved from the St. Louis
area to Santa Fe
, New Mexico Territory, then moving to the town of Westport
, Oregon Territory. On April 1, 1838, he joined a group of missionaries, led by the fur trapper Andrew Dripps, and went along the Oregon Trail
to Fort Vancouver
in Oregon Territory
, which he reached in October. With a few companions, he went on board the British
bark Columbia which left Fort Vancouver on 11 November and laid at anchor in Honolulu on 9 December. Sutter wanted to settle in California, but the only vessel riding at anchor in the harbor was the brig Clementine — Sutter managed to be signed on as unpaid supercargo
of this brig freighted with a cargo of provisions and general merchandise for the Russia
n colony of New Archangel
, now known as Sitka, Alaska. The Clementine hoisted anchor on April 20, 1839, with Sutter together with 10 Kanakas
, two of them women, a few companions, and a Hawaii
an bulldog
. From the Russian colony at Sitka, where he stayed one month, Sutter traveled by sail to Yerba Buena
, now San Francisco, at that time a tiny poor mission station. The Clementine arrived in Yerba Buena on July 1, 1839.
At the time of Sutter's arrival in California, the territory had a population of only 1,000 Europeans, in contrast with 30,000 Native American
s. It was at that point a part of Mexico
and the governor, Juan Bautista Alvarado
, granted him permission to settle; in order to qualify for a land grant
, Sutter became a Mexican citizen on August 29, 1840. He identified himself as 'Captain Sutter of the Swiss Guard'. The following year, on 18 June, he received title to 48827 acres (197.6 km²). Sutter named his settlement New Helvetia
, or "New Switzerland," after his homeland, "Helvetia" being the Latin name for Switzerland.
Sutter employed Native Americans of the Miwok
and Maidu
tribes, Kanakas, and Europeans at his compound, which he called Sutter's Fort; he envisioned creating an agricultural
utopia
, and for a time the settlement was in fact quite large and prosperous. It was for a period the destination for most California-bound immigrants, including the ill-fated Donner Party
, for whose rescue Sutter contributed supplies.
A Francophile
, Sutter threatened to raise the French
flag over California and place New Helvetia under French protection, but in 1847 the Mexican land was occupied by the United States
. Sutter at first supported the establishment of an independent California Republic
but when United States troops briefly seized control of his fort, Sutter did not resist because he was outnumbered.
In 1848, gold was discovered when James W. Marshall
and he began the construction of his sawmill in Coloma
, along the American River
. As Marshall inspected the tailrace for silt and debris, he noticed some gold nuggets and brought them to Sutter's attention. Together, they read an encyclopedia entry on gold and performed primitive tests to confirm whether it was precious metal. Sutter concluded that it was, in fact, gold, but he was very anxious that the discovery not disrupt his plans for construction and farming. At the same time, he set about gaining legitimate title to as much land near the discovery as possible (Cherry, Page 106). Sutter's attempt at keeping this quiet failed when merchant and newspaper publisher Samuel Brannan
returned from Sutter's Mill to San Francisco with gold he had acquired there and began publicizing the find. Masses of people overran the land and destroyed nearly everything Sutter had worked for. In order to keep from losing everything, however, Sutter deeded his remaining land to his son, John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
The younger Sutter, who had come from Switzerland and joined his father in September 1848, saw the commercial possibilities of the land and promptly started plans for building a new city he named Sacramento
, after the Sacramento River
. The elder Sutter deeply resented this because he had wanted the city to be named Sutterville and be built near his New Helvetia domain. The younger Sutter didn't seem to be interested in the Gold Rush
. Instead, he moved south to Mexico where he was named consul of the U.S. in Acapulco
, becoming a fixture of the port. There he had a relationship with Carmen Rivas and had 3 children. He later married Nicolasa Solis and had five children. He served for 24 years using the name Juan A. Sutter. He continued living in Acapulco long after his term as consul had ended. In 1897, John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
died and was buried there by his wife and children; his remains were relocated to Sacramento in 1964.
Sutter's El Sobrante (Spanish for leftover) land grant was challenged by the Squatter's Association, and in 1858 the U.S. Supreme Court denied its validity. Sutter sought reimbursement of his losses associated with the Gold Rush. He received a pension of US$250 a month not as a reimbursement of taxes paid on the Sobrante grant at the time Sutter considered it his own. He and wife Nanette moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania
. The proximity to Washington, D.C. along with the reputed healing qualities of Lititz Springs appealed to the aging Sutter. He also wanted three of his grandchildren (he had grandchildren in Acapulco
, Mexico, as well) to have the benefits of the fine private and Moravian Schools. Sutter built his home across from the Lititz Springs Hotel, the present-day General Sutter Inn.
For more than fifteen years, John Sutter petitioned Congress for restitution but little was done. On June 16, 1880, Congress adjourned, once again, without action on a bill which would have given Sutter US$50,000. Two days later, on June 18, 1880, John Augustus Sutter died in a Washington D.C. hotel. He was returned to Lititz and is buried in God's Acre
, the Moravian Graveyard. Mrs. Sutter died the following January and is buried with him.
In addition to the links found below, Sutter Street in downtown San Francisco, California
is named for John A. Sutter. Sutter's Landing, Sutterville Road, Sutter Middle School, Sutter's Mill School, and Sutterville Elementary School in Sacramento
are all named after him. The Sutterville Bend of the Sacramento River
is named for Sutter, as is Sutter Medical Foundation, a non-profit
medical system in northern California. The City of Sutter Creek, California
is also named after him. In Acapulco
, Mexico, the property that used to belong to John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
became the Hotel Sutter, which is still in service.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
pioneer of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
known for his association with the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
by the discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
by James W. Marshall
James W. Marshall
James Wilson Marshall was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, whose discovery of gold in the American River in California on January 24, 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush. The mill property was owned by Johan Sutter who employed Marshall to build his mill...
and the mill making team at Sutter's Mill
Sutter's Mill
Sutter's Mill was a sawmill owned by 19th century pioneer John Sutter in partnership with James W. Marshall. It was located in Coloma, California, at the bank of the South Fork American River...
, and for establishing Sutter's Fort
Sutter's Fort
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is a state-protected park in Sacramento, California which includes Sutter's Fort and the California State Indian Museum. Begun in 1839 and originally called "New Helvetia" by its builder, John Sutter, the fort was a 19th century agricultural and trade colony in...
in the area that would eventually become Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, the state's
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
capital. Although famous throughout California for his association with the Gold Rush, Sutter died almost poor, having seen his business ventures fail while those of his elder son, John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr. was the founder and planner of the City of Sacramento, California, a U.S. Consul in Acapulco, Mexico and the son of Swiss born American pioneer, John Augustus Sutter, Sr.-Biography:...
, were more successful.
Early years
Kandern
Kandern is a town in southwestern Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the Kreis of Lörrach. During the Battle of Schliengen, in which the French Revolutionary army fought the forces of Austria, the battle lines of both armies terminated in Kandern...
, Baden, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, when his father came from the nearby town of Rünenberg
Rünenberg
Rünenberg is a municipality in the district of Sissach in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.-Geography:Rünenberg has an area, , of . Of this area, or 55.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 37.8% is forested...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He went to school in in Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and later joined the Swiss army, eventually becoming captain of the artillery. Debts incurred in business dealings, however, compelled Sutter to leave Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In May 1834, he left his wife and five children in Burgdorf, Switzerland, and with a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
he came on board the ship Sully which travelled from Le Havre, France, to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where it arrived on July 14, 1834.
The New World
At age 23, Johann married Annette Dubold, the daughter of a rich widow. He had a store but he was more interested in spending money than making it. Because of family and debts, Johann was going to be put in jail. So he fled to America and changed his name to Captain John Augustus Sutter.John Sutter established Sutter’s Fort in 1839. He had to make peace with the Indians . The Indians and Sutter became friends and the Indians made Sutter a house. John Sutter called the place New Helvetia or “ New Switzerland.” Sutter’s Fort had a central building made of adobe bricks, surrounded by a high wall with protection on opposite corners to guard against attack. It also had workshops and stores that produced all goods necessary for the New Helvetia settlement. In 1848, one of Sutter’s most trusted employees, named James Marshall, found gold at Sutter’s Mill. At first, they kept it a secret. Soon, everyone heard about the gold they found and headed to California. This event was called the Gold Rush.
John Sutter tried to mine for gold but he was not successful. At one point, he hired other men to mine for him. He soon found out they were keeping most of the gold for themselves and giving him a little. Soon he went back to Sutter’s Fort. Even if most of his employees left to go to the gold mines, John did not give up. He opened stores and rented spaces to other merchants too. But more trouble came to Sutter’s Fort. The rushing mobs of goldseekers tore out fences that got in their way. Whenever fences got torn down, Sutter’s animals broke out. John needed money because he had no livestock or crops to sell. The only thing he had left to sell was his land. He designed and laid out the boundaries and plots of land for a new town on a large portion of his property. Proudly he named the town Sutterville. He thought the town would be a big hit. But no one wanted to buy his town. So he decided to sell his other land. But the agents who agreed to sell portions of his property cheated him out of his money. He was in debt once again.
Sutter ended up giving his son his remaining land, and his son
John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr. was the founder and planner of the City of Sacramento, California, a U.S. Consul in Acapulco, Mexico and the son of Swiss born American pioneer, John Augustus Sutter, Sr.-Biography:...
started making plans to build a new city called Sacramento. Sutter gave up New Helvetia to pay the last of his debts. He rejoined his family and lived in Hock Farm
Sutter Hock Farm
The Sutter Hock Farm is the first non-Indian settlement in Sutter County, USA established in 1841 by John Augustus Sutter. John Sutter's Hock Farm was the first large-scale agricultural settlement in Northern California, composed of grain, cattle, orchards and vineyards...
. John Sutter got a letter of introduction to the Congress of the United States from the governor of California. He moved to Washington D.C. Soon after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, John Sutter and Nanette moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania. But John made trips back to Washington every so often. John Sutter died in a Washington D.C. hotel room on June 19, 1880.
In North America, John Augustus Sutter (as he would call himself for the rest of his life) undertook extensive travels. Before he went to the U.S., he learned Spanish and English. Together with 35 Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
he moved from the St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
area to Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico Territory, then moving to the town of Westport
Westport, Oregon
Westport is an unincorporated community on the Columbia River in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Westport is connected to Cathlamet, Washington across the river via the Wahkiakum County Ferry to Puget Island. U.S...
, Oregon Territory. On April 1, 1838, he joined a group of missionaries, led by the fur trapper Andrew Dripps, and went along the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
to Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
in Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
, which he reached in October. With a few companions, he went on board the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bark Columbia which left Fort Vancouver on 11 November and laid at anchor in Honolulu on 9 December. Sutter wanted to settle in California, but the only vessel riding at anchor in the harbor was the brig Clementine — Sutter managed to be signed on as unpaid supercargo
Supercargo
Supercargo is a term in maritime law that refers to a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship...
of this brig freighted with a cargo of provisions and general merchandise for the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n colony of New Archangel
Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
The City and Borough of Sitka, originally called New Archangel under Russian Rule, is a unified city-borough located on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean , in the U.S...
, now known as Sitka, Alaska. The Clementine hoisted anchor on April 20, 1839, with Sutter together with 10 Kanakas
Kanakas
Kanaka was the term for a worker from various Pacific Islands employed in British colonies, such as British Columbia , Fiji and Queensland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
, two of them women, a few companions, and a Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
. From the Russian colony at Sitka, where he stayed one month, Sutter traveled by sail to Yerba Buena
Yerba Buena (town)
Yerba Buena was the original name of San Francisco when in the Spanish Las Californias Province of New Spain, and then after 1822 in the Mexican territory of Alta California, until the Mexican American War ended with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, when California became a territory of the...
, now San Francisco, at that time a tiny poor mission station. The Clementine arrived in Yerba Buena on July 1, 1839.
New Helvetia
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s. It was at that point a part of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the governor, Juan Bautista Alvarado
Juan Bautista Alvarado
Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado y Vallejo was a Californio and twice Governor of Alta California from 1836 to 1837, and 1838 to 1842.-Early years:...
, granted him permission to settle; in order to qualify for a land grant
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
, Sutter became a Mexican citizen on August 29, 1840. He identified himself as 'Captain Sutter of the Swiss Guard'. The following year, on 18 June, he received title to 48827 acres (197.6 km²). Sutter named his settlement New Helvetia
New Helvetia
New Helvetia , meaning "New Switzerland", was a Mexican-era California settlement.The Swiss pioneer John Sutter arrived in Mexican Alta California with other settlers in August 1839. He established the agricultural and trading colony and stockade Sutter's Fort as "Nueva Helvetia" in 1840...
, or "New Switzerland," after his homeland, "Helvetia" being the Latin name for Switzerland.
Sutter employed Native Americans of the Miwok
Miwok
Miwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
and Maidu
Maidu
The Maidu are a group of Native Americans who live in Northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada, in the drainage area of the Feather and American Rivers...
tribes, Kanakas, and Europeans at his compound, which he called Sutter's Fort; he envisioned creating an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
, and for a time the settlement was in fact quite large and prosperous. It was for a period the destination for most California-bound immigrants, including the ill-fated Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
, for whose rescue Sutter contributed supplies.
A Francophile
Francophile
Is a person with a positive predisposition or interest toward the government, culture, history, or people of France. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc...
, Sutter threatened to raise the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
flag over California and place New Helvetia under French protection, but in 1847 the Mexican land was occupied by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Sutter at first supported the establishment of an independent California Republic
California Republic
The California Republic, also called the Bear Flag Republic, is the name used for a period of revolt against Mexico initially proclaimed by a handful of American settlers in Mexican California on June 14, 1846, in Sonoma. This was shortly before news of the Mexican–American War had reached the area...
but when United States troops briefly seized control of his fort, Sutter did not resist because he was outnumbered.
In 1848, gold was discovered when James W. Marshall
James W. Marshall
James Wilson Marshall was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, whose discovery of gold in the American River in California on January 24, 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush. The mill property was owned by Johan Sutter who employed Marshall to build his mill...
and he began the construction of his sawmill in Coloma
Coloma, California
Coloma is a census-designated place in El Dorado County, California, USA. It is approximately northeast of Sacramento, California. Coloma is most noted for being the site where James W. Marshall first discovered gold in California, at Sutter's Mill on January 24, 1848, leading to the California...
, along the American River
American River
The American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
. As Marshall inspected the tailrace for silt and debris, he noticed some gold nuggets and brought them to Sutter's attention. Together, they read an encyclopedia entry on gold and performed primitive tests to confirm whether it was precious metal. Sutter concluded that it was, in fact, gold, but he was very anxious that the discovery not disrupt his plans for construction and farming. At the same time, he set about gaining legitimate title to as much land near the discovery as possible (Cherry, Page 106). Sutter's attempt at keeping this quiet failed when merchant and newspaper publisher Samuel Brannan
Samuel Brannan
Samuel Brannan was an American settler, businessman, and journalist, who founded the "California Star" newspaper in San Francisco, California...
returned from Sutter's Mill to San Francisco with gold he had acquired there and began publicizing the find. Masses of people overran the land and destroyed nearly everything Sutter had worked for. In order to keep from losing everything, however, Sutter deeded his remaining land to his son, John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr. was the founder and planner of the City of Sacramento, California, a U.S. Consul in Acapulco, Mexico and the son of Swiss born American pioneer, John Augustus Sutter, Sr.-Biography:...
The younger Sutter, who had come from Switzerland and joined his father in September 1848, saw the commercial possibilities of the land and promptly started plans for building a new city he named Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, after the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
. The elder Sutter deeply resented this because he had wanted the city to be named Sutterville and be built near his New Helvetia domain. The younger Sutter didn't seem to be interested in the Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
. Instead, he moved south to Mexico where he was named consul of the U.S. in Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, becoming a fixture of the port. There he had a relationship with Carmen Rivas and had 3 children. He later married Nicolasa Solis and had five children. He served for 24 years using the name Juan A. Sutter. He continued living in Acapulco long after his term as consul had ended. In 1897, John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr. was the founder and planner of the City of Sacramento, California, a U.S. Consul in Acapulco, Mexico and the son of Swiss born American pioneer, John Augustus Sutter, Sr.-Biography:...
died and was buried there by his wife and children; his remains were relocated to Sacramento in 1964.
Land grant challenge
Lititz, Pennsylvania
Lititz is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 6 miles north of the city of Lancaster.-History:Lititz was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1756, and was named after a castle in Bohemia near the village of Kunvald where the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church had...
. The proximity to Washington, D.C. along with the reputed healing qualities of Lititz Springs appealed to the aging Sutter. He also wanted three of his grandchildren (he had grandchildren in Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, Mexico, as well) to have the benefits of the fine private and Moravian Schools. Sutter built his home across from the Lititz Springs Hotel, the present-day General Sutter Inn.
For more than fifteen years, John Sutter petitioned Congress for restitution but little was done. On June 16, 1880, Congress adjourned, once again, without action on a bill which would have given Sutter US$50,000. Two days later, on June 18, 1880, John Augustus Sutter died in a Washington D.C. hotel. He was returned to Lititz and is buried in God's Acre
God's Acre
God's Acre is an ancient Germanic designation for a burial ground. In his poem "God's-Acre," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow attributes the term to ancient Saxons.-In Christianity:...
, the Moravian Graveyard. Mrs. Sutter died the following January and is buried with him.
Legacy
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
is named for John A. Sutter. Sutter's Landing, Sutterville Road, Sutter Middle School, Sutter's Mill School, and Sutterville Elementary School in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
are all named after him. The Sutterville Bend of the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
is named for Sutter, as is Sutter Medical Foundation, a non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
medical system in northern California. The City of Sutter Creek, California
Sutter Creek, California
Sutter Creek is a city in Amador County, California, United States. The population was 2,501 at the 2010 census, up from 2,303 at the 2000 census...
is also named after him. In Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, Mexico, the property that used to belong to John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr.
John Augustus Sutter, Jr. was the founder and planner of the City of Sacramento, California, a U.S. Consul in Acapulco, Mexico and the son of Swiss born American pioneer, John Augustus Sutter, Sr.-Biography:...
became the Hotel Sutter, which is still in service.
Scholarly studies
- Albert L. Hurtado, John Sutter: A Life on the North American Frontier (2006) University of Oklahoma Press, 416 pp. ISBN 0-8061-3772-X.
Fiction
- Blaise CendrarsBlaise CendrarsFrédéric Louis Sauser , better known as Blaise Cendrars, was a Swiss novelist and poet naturalized French in 1916. He was a writer of considerable influence in the modernist movement.-Early years:...
L'Or (1925) (Sutter's Gold), a novel - Luis TrenkerLuis TrenkerLuis Trenker was a German-language South Tyrolian film director, architect, and actor.-Biography:...
Der Kaiser von Kalifornien, 1936 - Stefan ZweigStefan ZweigStefan Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world.- Biography :...
narrates Sutter's story in one of his Sternstunden der Menschheit called Die Entdeckung Eldorados (The discovery of eldorado).
Films
- Days of '49 (1924)
- California in '49 (1929)
- The Kaiser of CaliforniaThe Kaiser of CaliforniaThe Kaiser of California, better known as "The Emperor of California" , is a 1936 film that has the unique distinction of being the first western film made in Nazi Germany...
(1936) - Sutter's GoldSutter's GoldSutter's Gold is a 1936 fictionalized film version of the aftermath of the discovery of gold on Sutter's property, spurring the California Gold Rush of 1849. Edward Arnold plays John Sutter...
(1936) - Kit Carson (1940)
- "The Pathfinder" (The Great AdventureThe Great Adventure (TV series)The Great Adventure is a historical anthology series that appeared on CBS for the 1963-1964 television season. The series, hosted each week by Van Heflin, and featuring theme music by Richard Rodgers, presented each week a one-hour dramatization of the lives of famous Americans and important...
, 1964) - Fortune (1969)
- Donner Pass: The Road to Survival (1978)
- The ChisholmsThe ChisholmsThe Chisholms is a CBS western miniseries starring Robert Preston, which aired thirteen episodes from March 29, 1979, to April 19, 1979, and from January 19, 1980, to March 15, 1980. The 1979 episodes showed the family moving from Virginia to Wyoming...
, CBS miniseriesMiniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, role of Sutter played by Ben Piazza (1980) - California Gold Rush (1981)
- Dream West (1986)
- General SutterGeneral SutterGeneral Sutter is a 1999 Swiss historical film directed by Benny Fasnacht and starring Werner Bachofen, Hannes Schmidhauser and Rahman Dalrymple...
(1999)
See also
- John Augustus Sutter, Jr.John Augustus Sutter, Jr.John Augustus Sutter, Jr. was the founder and planner of the City of Sacramento, California, a U.S. Consul in Acapulco, Mexico and the son of Swiss born American pioneer, John Augustus Sutter, Sr.-Biography:...
- Sutter's FortSutter's FortSutter's Fort State Historic Park is a state-protected park in Sacramento, California which includes Sutter's Fort and the California State Indian Museum. Begun in 1839 and originally called "New Helvetia" by its builder, John Sutter, the fort was a 19th century agricultural and trade colony in...
- Fort Ross, CaliforniaFort Ross, CaliforniaFort Ross is a former Russian establishment on the Pacific Coast in what is now Sonoma County, California, in the United States. It was the hub of the southernmost Russian settlements in North America in between 1812 to 1841...
- Sutter, CaliforniaSutter, CaliforniaSutter is a census-designated place in Sutter County, California, United States. It is part of the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area within the Greater Sacramento CSA...
- Sutter ButtesSutter ButtesThe Sutter Buttes are a small circular complex of eroded volcanic lava domes which rise as buttes above the flat plains of the Central Valley of California in the United States. The highest peak, South Butte, reaches about above sea level. The Buttes are located just outside of Yuba City,...
- Sutter County, CaliforniaSutter County, CaliforniaSutter County is a county located along the Sacramento River in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of state capital Sacramento. Sutter County is part of the Greater Sacramento CSA....
- Sutter Creek, CaliforniaSutter Creek, CaliforniaSutter Creek is a city in Amador County, California, United States. The population was 2,501 at the 2010 census, up from 2,303 at the 2000 census...
External links
- His account of the discovery of gold
- Captain Sutter's account of the first discovery of the gold (illustrated lithograph)
- Collection of John Sutter Journal Entries
- Guide to the John Augustus Sutter Papers at The Bancroft Library
- Street names in San Francisco
- Sutterville, California State Historic Landmark
- Sutter's Fort, California State Historic Landmark
- General Sutter Inn Lititz, PA
- John A. Sutter, Jr. Marker. Spanish (Acapulco) /English (Sacramento)