Description
John Augustus Sutter (1803-1880) was granted land in 1841 which he named New Helvetia, now part of Sacramento, and built Sutter's
Fort. In 1848, Sutter discovered gold on his land, which marked the beginning of the Gold Rush in California. This is a collection
of two pieces of correspondence from John Augustus Sutter, dated 1840 and 1841, and eleven newspaper clippings about Sutter,
dated from 1939-1961. One of the letters from Sutter is in French, and includes a typed translation.
Background
John Augustus Sutter (1803-1880) was born in Baden, Germany of Swiss parents. In 1834, faced with impossible debt, he decided
to try his fortunes in America and set sail for New York. There he decided that the West offered him the best opportunity
for success, and he moved to Missouri, where for three years he operated as a trader on the Santa Fe Trail.
Extent
0.2 Linear Feet
(2 folders)
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Availability
Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives
and fill out the Researcher Application Form.