William, We have a strange link in Springville with James Marshall; not terribly important, but interesting: Also from Illinois was one Nathan Patrick Dillon, b. 1820 who married 1891 second: Miss Elenor Larison "Nellie" Marshall, b. 1851; the niece of James Marshall. Their daughter Veda Zara Dillon, b. 1892, d. 1985 and her grandson lives in Tulare county. Despite Nathans age of 71, and because of her long life, Veda was in living memory a one generation removed from those who knew James Marshall. The family rumor is that Nellie had "the nugget" on a necklace, ( one of dozens, methinks) given her by uncle James. And of course, lost. Fact is she owned extensive property here in her own name, now called Cedar Slope up #190. We wonder if it was James Marshall money that bought it for her. Nellie died in a run-away horse incident when her daughter was 2, and she was raised by the Murphys; we have that house at the Springville Museum. --JD At 07:26 AM 3/3/00 -1000, William Disbro wrote: >Dear List, > One of my projects that is ongoing is to supply to the Mariposa >Mailing list with the obits and vitals from the Mariposa Gazette and the >Mariposa Free Press. In my search of those I came upon this one that I >feel is of a more general interest than just to the Mariposa mailing >list so just wanted to pass it on to this list as I feel there will be >many interested in it. > Aloha, > William Disbro > >Mariposa Gazette August 15, 1885 > >JAMES W. MARSHALL >The Discoverer of Gold in California, Died at COLOMA. > > Sacramento, August 10.- A dispatch from Placerville to-day says >that James W. MARSHALL, the discoverer of gold, died at Coloma, El >Dorado county, at 5 o'clock this morning. > Deceased was 82 years of age, and was born in Hope township, >Huntingdon county, New Jersey, and served an apprenticeship as a coach >builder in his native town. At the age of 21 years he became >dissatisfied with the limited prospect of advancement offered by the >home of his youth and determined to extend his field of operations. He >went to Indiana and Illinois, and then to Kansas, where he was in a fair >way to achieve prosperity, when he was attacked by a lingering sickness, >which necessitated his seeking a change of climate. The course of his >migrations tended always westward, and in June , 1845, he set foot in >California. He first engaged to work for General SUTTER at Sutter's >Fort, in Sacramento county, and afterwards went into partnership with >him in the lumber business, at Coloma. On the 8th of January, 1848, >while engaged in superintending the building of a millrace, in >connection with their lumber enterprise, MARSHALL's eye first detected >the particles of gleaming metal which excited not only the people of >America, but the whole civilized world, and set in motion towards the >Pacific Coast a host of adventurers eager to reach a land that promised >actual riches in return for labor. Nearly all the earliest seekers after >wealth made directly for Coloma and, without any preliminaries, settled >themselves upon MARSHALL's land and helped themselves to his cattle and >other possessions to supply their necessities. MARSHAL was never >successful as a prospector and his discovery, which brought fortunes to >many and made California what it is today, proved his financial ruin. He >became involved in litigation and eventually lost all the land he once >possessed, and he died at last a poor man, near the spot where >thirty-seven years ago he had picked up the first bright nugget from the >sand. He received of late years a pension of $150 per month from the >State, which supplied his moderate wants, but which was scarcely a >sufficient reward for all his discovery had done for the State. > >