California Gold Rush was sparked by a failed Oregon farmer

Published: Jan. 18, 2021, 2 p.m.

Had James Marshall stayed in Oregon for one more month, he likely never would have left; instead, he headed south and found gold. And the discovery led more or less straight to his ruin. (Sutter's Fort, Calif.; 1848) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1702a.oregon-farmer-started-gold-rush-429.html)