Sutter's Fort

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19th century illustration of Sutter's Fort

Completed in 1839, Sutter's Fort, which was originally called "New Helvetia"^[1] (New Switzerland) by its builder, John Sutter, was a 19th century agricultural and trading colony in California. This settlement was the first non-Native American community in the California Central Valley.^[2] 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. The fort is famous for its association with the Donner Party, the California Gold Rush and with establishment of Sacramento. The adobe structure has been restored to its original condition and is listed as a California State Historic Park. Sutter's Fort is also the end of the California Trail and near the southern end of the Siskiyou Trail.

1 History
2 Geography and geology
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
6 Photo Gallery

[edit] History

John Sutter

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.^[3]

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.

[edit] Geography and geology

Sutter's Fort is located on level ground at an elevation of approximately 20 feet above mean sea datum^[4]. The slope elevation decreases northward toward the American River and westward toward the Sacramento River. Slope elevation gradually increases to the south and east, away from the rivers. All surface drainage is flows toward the Sacramento River. Groundwater in the vicinity flows south-southwest toward the Sacramento Delta; however, after peak rainfall, because of a swollen Sacramento River, the groundwater flow can actually reverse and flow away from the river.^[5]