Sutter's Fort was a 19th-century agricultural and trade colony in the
Mexican Alta California province. The site of the fort was established
in 1839 and originally called New Helvetia (New Switzerland) by its
builder John Sutter, though construction of the fort proper wouldn't
begin until 1841. The fort was the first non-Indigenous community in
the California Central Valley. The fort is famous for its association
with the Donner Party, the California Gold Rush, and the formation of
the city of Sacramento, surrounding the fort. It is notable for its
proximity to the end of the California Trail and Siskiyou Trails,
which it served as a waystation.After gold was discovered at Sutter's
Mill (also owned by John Sutter) in Coloma on January 24, 1848, the
fort was abandoned. The adobe structure has been restored to its
original condition and is now administered by California Department of
Parks and Recreation. It was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1961.The Main Building of the fort is a two-story adobe structure
built between 1841 and 1843. This building is the only original
surviving structure at the reconstructed Sutter's Fort State Historic
Park. It was in here on January 28, 1848 that James Marshall met
privately with Sutter in order to show Sutter the gold that Marshall
had found during the construction of Sutter's sawmill along the
American River only four days earlier. Sutter built the original fort
with walls 2.5 feet (0.76 m) thick and 15 to 18 feet (5.5 m) high.
Pioneers took residence at Sutter's Fort around 1841. Following word
of the Gold Rush, the fort was largely deserted by the 1850s and fell
into disrepair.In 1891, the Native Sons of the Golden West, who sought
to safeguard many of the landmarks of California's pioneer days,
purchased and rehabilitated Sutter's Fort when the City of Sacramento
sought to demolish it. Repair efforts were completed in 1893 and the
fort was given by the Native Sons of the Golden West to the State of
California. In 1947, the fort was transferred to the authority of
California State Parks. Sutter's Fort Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter