California State Route 49 is aptly named after the “49ers” of the Gold Rush of that era. Today it is a beautiful winding drive of majestic vistas and thriving, historic western towns. But the brightness of the gold also had a darker side.
The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States and abroad. The sudden influx of gold into the money supply reinvigorated the American economy; the sudden population increase allowed California to go rapidly to statehood in the Compromise of 1850. The Gold Rush had severe effects on Native Californians and accelerated the Native American population's decline from disease, starvation and the California genocide.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/17ec41d1-f2da-43f5-9063-5991b66d80c2_rw_1200.jpg?h=dc27d521eabae8ef026a318b5d77bc02)
![Jamestown CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/20435839-4e2d-48e5-879e-cf14dc122f9c_rw_1920.jpg?h=7c87eb4474eaa619f2ab873f9d066002)
Jamestown CA
![Goodyears Bar CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/fbf25454-1665-4fdd-baf2-343fd745feb5_rw_1920.jpg?h=8f4b27994798f333f015eb39b5422d5c)
Goodyears Bar CA
![Goodyears Bar CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/312b29c3-bd51-472f-83b5-360a40677f38_rw_1920.jpg?h=13ba22f0815302c62b35eb141d1bf118)
Goodyears Bar CA
![Nevada City CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/950e1777-98c2-4857-871e-5b85d6ccec59_rw_1920.jpg?h=c21cd20e4f3653dc59650cdcdbb133bd)
Nevada City CA
![Nevada City CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/00c3f37e-4b37-468d-b464-d9ed40a7b1ad_rw_1920.jpg?h=14d988f6a31daf0e8248715bb3bc5106)
Nevada City CA
![Auburn CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/d6cd0d7b-91ab-4705-929e-934abd1a3d10_rw_1920.jpg?h=d7871f718b3ef72f34e00250dd02f29a)
Auburn CA
![El Dorado County CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/b06681b0-d9ab-4377-8648-ab9d0b73f627_rw_1920.jpg?h=d41d443872daab30f7e124e5b95c0523)
El Dorado County CA
![Amador City CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/cbb81fda-2be0-4311-a7a2-8309b6deca61_rw_1920.jpg?h=33a6aa498917a9fa70b27d5c4d1bc1d8)
Amador City CA
![Jackson CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/3c8a9cb3-3d9a-452a-a0a4-b9251ab98525_rw_1920.jpg?h=92d21636e0f698c4e5dbf99761e4cd8a)
Jackson CA
![Mokelumne Hill CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/833bb64e-d628-4503-9096-4b20f0322f68_rw_1920.jpg?h=18a611239471bb7a7d3ee4a8459bfd7b)
Mokelumne Hill CA
![Mokelumne Hill CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/cf9e5979-608b-4cfe-a515-582715ecc52d_rw_1920.jpg?h=f905b55d4ef4b6880280d6b5e379efd7)
Mokelumne Hill CA
![Mokelumne Hill CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/53241939-97e4-4a0f-b1ef-a23159a88f1b_rw_1920.jpg?h=251b3598352230fca6a7e49c0bba23e4)
Mokelumne Hill CA
![San Andreas CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/b1888f18-dd07-41cd-a861-b6bc7dad0472_rw_1920.jpg?h=8dcea48dae11d09082e0e67d248c69e8)
San Andreas CA
![San Andreas CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/e9e99e2f-b226-4c57-86ba-20d9fb55f89f_rw_1920.jpg?h=dea5bc5d10b49fd269b842dc161f839d)
San Andreas CA
![Sonora CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/4e7b899d-23c1-4cd9-82c1-7d3961d9e13e_rw_1920.jpg?h=fe30489aeafb942893e4f464effa0a5f)
Sonora CA
![Sonora CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/52d22ead-217e-476f-80a1-c4695533fa32_rw_1920.jpg?h=0946d5397172a9b25bb17b458f84c870)
Sonora CA
![Sonora CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/212ad24d-4270-46df-b193-0e9ff5f16d92_rw_1920.jpg?h=d2b11b0677566f7418b17793023e71e8)
Sonora CA
![Jamestown CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/176bb429-6c22-4c5f-99fe-8f4e2b4001c0_rw_1920.jpg?h=b6421a53b778b974cae55bedda6a2886)
Jamestown CA
![Chinese Camp CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/89fc9b2b-f45e-4222-bcad-c62a301ceb6c_rw_1920.jpg?h=08692f3956c6ef45bc04623962c0beb2)
Chinese Camp CA
![Chinese Camp CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/c63b05a5-2e22-4723-ad4c-adf5a46dc394_rw_1920.jpg?h=7ad97e39800ff021155c651cd2684960)
Chinese Camp CA
![Chinese Camp CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/39ad785c-70f4-45f9-9a04-3191b2506e75_rw_1920.jpg?h=a21636d18a7c9512180c3be089ebbc64)
Chinese Camp CA
![Moccasin CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/b844250b-0fe4-4559-8bc6-00eea08f002f_rw_1920.jpg?h=95753946c0b8797179b0cb745600120f)
Moccasin CA
![Mariposa CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/61e81fb8-1929-46d0-ba25-0c88cef55d34_rw_1920.jpg?h=45f30338b2c0e940c06ebacc8df5e4d5)
Mariposa CA
![Ahwahnee CA](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/9efbddce-28e3-40a5-89b4-1c262aed5cac_rw_1920.jpg?h=503a45686a12d574a90cbf8910810221)
Ahwahnee CA
![Lake Tahoe](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/b9ff8fc1-0ce7-4980-b9e0-3e336a0f8caa/ea4f92a4-9495-4228-a66d-2ed915985749_rw_1920.jpg?h=ff349e152756996bcb71c15d696e5448)