James marshall net worth

James Marshall, an itinerant carpenter, discovered gold in California, launching the largest mining rush in American history.​
Marshall arrived in California in 1845, settling at Sutter’s Fort in New Helvetia (now Sacramento). John A. Sutter employed him as general handyman, with a special commission to cooper and wright an undershot water sawmill some 40 miles up the American River from the Fort. Marshall dug the races, erected the wheel and, on January 24, 1848, let loose the water. There was a problem with some unanticipated earth wash, so he shut down the system and walked down the tailrace. His eye caught the glitter of something lodged in a crevice and, when he picked up the substance, found it to be quite heavy and peculiar in color. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen in the river before. He sent an Indian boy for a tin plate on which he collected several small cubical crystals and sparkling flakes. Marshall appears to have had no doubt about what he had found, but ran several tests to confirm his suspicions. He had the camp cook boil the flakes and crystals in the lye o

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