Sutter's Fort

Infobox_nrhp2 | name =Sutter's Fort
nhl=yes

---

caption = The grounds of Sutter's Fort
location= Sacramento, California
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 34
lat_seconds = 20
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 121
long_minutes = 28
long_seconds = 12
long_direction = W
locmapin = California
area =5.80 acres
built =1839
architect= John Sutter
architecture=
added = October 15, 1966
designated_nhl = January 20, 1961 [http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceID=126&resourceType=Site NHL Summary] ]
governing_body = California State Parks
refnum=66000221cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

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" ("New Switzerland") by its builder, John Sutter, the fort was a 19th century agricultural and trade colony in California. [http://www.nr.nps.gov/Red%20Books/66000221.red.pdf NPS Redbook] ] [ [http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_names/sutter_john/sutter_john.html John Sutter Biography] ] The fort was the first non-Native American community in the California Central Valley. [ [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=485 Sutter's Fort State Historical Park Information] ] The fort is famous for its association with the Donner Party, the California Gold Rush and the formation of Sacramento. It is notable for it's proximity to the end of the California Trail and Siskiyou Trails for which it served as a waystation.

After gold was discovered at Sutters Mill (also owned by Sutter) in Coloma, the fort was abandoned. [http://www.nr.nps.gov/writeups/66000221.nl.pdf NHL Writeup] ] The adobe structure has been restored to its original condition and is now administered by California State Parks, although threatened with closure. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

Location

The compound was built near the junction of the American and Sacramento Rivers and is located at what is now the intersection of 27th and L Streets in the Midtown neighborhood of the city of Sacramento.

History

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 thick and 15 to 18 feet high. [ [http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21507 Sutter's Fort Historical Profile] ]

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 embarked on a restoration of the fort, completing their repair efforts in 1893. In 1947, the fort was transferred to the authority of California State Parks.

Most of the original neighborhood structures were initially built in the late 1930s as residences, many of which have been converted to commercial uses such as private medical practices. The history of the neighborhood is largely residential.

Geography and geology

, 2617 K Street, Sacramento, California", Earth Metrics Inc. Report # 10185, October 3, 1989]

Proposed for closure

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is one of the 48 California state parks proposed for closure in January 2008 by California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of a deficit reduction program. [ [http://cbs5.com/local/California.parks.budget.2.627476.html CBS5.com: List Of Calif. Parks To Close In Budget Proposal] ]

ee also

*California State Indian Museum
*List of California state parks

References

External links

* [http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=485 Sutter's Fort State Historic Park offical site]
* [http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/suttersfort/ Virtual Sutter's Fort Virtual Web Site]
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/5views/5views1h90.htm A History of American Indians in California: Sutter's Fort]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hh:@field(NUMBER+@band(CA0546)) Library of Congress, Americas Memory]

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