Sutter’s Fort

Jill's Journal: Kids who grew up in California have undoubtedly had the name “Sutter’s Fort” emblazoned in their memories from the annals of California history. Kids who grew up outside of California have probably never heard of the place, or at the very most had it relegated to a footnote about the 1849 Gold Rush in their U.S. History textbooks. Sutter’s Fort represents the start of Sacramento (the great state of California’s capital), the beginning of agriculture in California, and, perhaps most importantly, the onset of the Gold Rush and mass settling of the West.

Just Erika and Madelyn explored Sutter’s Fort with me today while Victoria stayed home for some quiet time while her Daddy worked. The sudden (for us) triple-digit temperatures do not sit well with the youngest member of our family. The heat turns our normally happy, smiley little one into a very cranky and miserable child. Poor thing.

Inside the fort, this is the main building where Johann (John) Augustus Sutter conducted his business and entertained his guests. Born a few miles from the Swiss border in Germany, Sutter considered himself Swiss. He left his wife, five children, and a string of bad debts and angry creditors behind when he sailed for America in 1834. His business ventures in Kansas City, Missouri also failed. He abandoned his problems there as well and borrowed and swindled his way west. After heading first to Hawaii and then Alaska, he became a Mexican citizen in 1840 to qualify for his grant of 50,000 acres of land that would become the base of Sacramento. He eventually controlled 191,000 acres, or almost 300 square miles of land, reaching from Sacramento north to the present-day town of Redding.

Sutter built his adobe fort, which he called “New Helvetia” or New Switzerland. He eventually employed hundreds of local Indians in his fields and ran 30 plows a day. At the height of his empire, he had 12,000 head of cattle, 2,000 horses and mules, between 10,000 and 15,000 sheep, and 1,000 hogs.

In the fort itself, he had everything from a blacksmith shop to a weaving business to a bakery, gunsmith shop, carpentry shop, cooper’s shop, distillery, and more. Many of the rooms, like this trade store, are set up to resemble what they may have looked like at the time.

Sutter’s Fort was well known in its day as a temporary refuge for weary travelers. Sutter generously housed them, fed them, and gave them supplies for free. He actively recruited settlers from across America and Europe. He was also instrumental in the rescue of the Donner Party, the 89 members of a wagon train who became trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter of 1846-47 in high snow. It was Sutter who sent rescuers and brought back the 47 survivors, who famously survived by eating the flesh of their dead companions. Patty Reed, a child in the party, donated the doll she carried with her during the harrowing winter to Sutter’s Fort after her death as appreciation for the care Sutter gave her family and traveling companions. It is still on display today (although is currently being restored and was unavailable to view on this day).

In 1847, Sutter had a man named James W. Marshall build a sawmill about 50 miles east of the fort. It was here that Marshall discovered gold in 1848 while installing the mill. Sutter originally tried to keep the discovery a secret, but there was no keeping it quiet. Thousands flocked to the area to seek their fortune. In 1849, during the height of the Gold Rush, they trampled Sutter’s fields, squatted on his land, stole his livestock, and swindled him out of his holdings. His debts began piling up again. He lost the fort later that year, but was reunited with his wife and children in 1850 (after 16 years of separation) on his ranch in Marysville (about 40 miles north of Sacramento).

Sutter and his fort were clearly pivotal in the development of not just Sacramento, but in the settling of California. He is a flawed and fascinating historical figure. Erika particularly enjoyed learning about him and the time in history. What a little traveler she is becoming! She had the map of the fort and loved serving as navigator for our little party. She listened to every word of every part of the audio tour. Here she’s showing some other kids what adobe mud walls feel like underneath the layer of stucco/plaster/whatever it is on the outside.

After touring Sutter’s Fort, we picked up our other family members for dinner at Nagato Sukiyaki, a restaurant Rob remembers visiting often as a child with his family (he grew up about two hours away and Sacramento was one of the two large towns his family frequented on regular shopping trips). The Japanese restaurant has had the same owners since it opened 41 years ago and it was so neat for Rob to relive some of those childhood memories with his own kids. Pretty special (and darn good food to boot).