Coloma

The California gold rush started in Coloma when James W. Marshall discovered flecks of metal in the bottom of a ditch. “Boys, I believe I’ve found a gold mine!” he exclaimed in January 1848 to colleagues at John Sutter's mill here. In short order, California's coastal communities began to empty as prospectors flocked to the hills, getting a jump on East Coasters, who didn't hear about the boom until mid-August.