I would like to add that the people who made the real money in the California Gold Rush were those who provided services. Those services included laundries, banks, hotels, grocery stores, etc. If you look at the names of the wealthy in California, you will see that is true. The gold miners were the source of that money. Also, the land in Virginia was worn from all the tobacco growing, no crop rotation, etc. That inspired the families to move to KY where it was said that the land was rich and untouched. When George Rogers Clark and Daniel Boone started spreading the word, many decided to move west. Judy Arthur