1948 Coy Wall Map of the California Gold Region during the 1848 Gold Rush

A triumph of research, this is a meticulously detailed wall map of the California gold region at the height of the Gold Rush. It was published in 1948 on the centennial of the Gold Rush by researcher Owen C. Joy and the California State Historical Association. Coverage of the 'diggings' extends from the northern portion of the Sierra Valley in Plumas County in the north to Mariposa County in the south.

A Closer Look

The exact date represented here, if any, is unclear, but likely represents the apex gold rush in the early 1850s. 'New Helvetia' has already been renamed Sacramento, and a number of other settlements, such as Plumas City and Marysville, which were initially shanty towns of miners' tents, are indicated as proper towns. Notably, Stockton, which became the 'supply depot' of the gold rush, is a sizable planned town.

An Expert on the 'Diggings'

Coy, an expert on gold rush 'diggings', has incorporated his extensive research. Many of the sites indicated did not last long, springing up and disappearing as strikes were discovered and exhausted. Their names reflect the origins of the miners ('Italian Bar,' 'Vermont Bar,' 'Texas Diggings,' 'Kennebec Bar,' 'French Camp'), their aspirations ('Gold Springs,' 'Eldorado'), and the local environment ('Grizzly Flat,' which is circled). One site near right-center is designated 'Hellhole.'

The California Gold Rush

The discovery of gold at John Sutter's Mill (located at Coloma, near center) by James Wilson Marshall (1810 - 1885) in January of 1848 was one of the most definitive moments in American history. Coming at the end of the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848), the timing of the discovery could not have been more propitious. The combination of new, seemingly unlimited territory and the lure of gold led to a stampede of adventurers, prospectors, merchants, and homesteaders eager for a new life. The Gold Rush was not limited to Americans crossing the Great Plains; European, Australian, and even Chinese immigrants rushed into California hungry for their part of the great strike. 'Push factors' also aligned perfectly with the discovery: continental Europeans sought to flee the backlash following the failed Revolutions of 1848, Irish immigrants were desperate to escape the famine in their homeland, and Chinese miners hailed from some of the most impoverished and overpopulated areas of southern China, particularly Taishan (Toishan), which saw intense fighting between long-establish locals and recent migrants. Tens of thousands of prospectors and other migrants arrived each year, greatly outnumbering the pre-gold rush population of California. This Great Migration transformed the United States in the span of just a few years from a former colony into an expansive transcontinental nation on the cusp of becoming a world power.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Owen C. Coy and the California State Historical Association in 1948. We note it in the holdings of eight institutions, seven of which are in California. This map has no known history on the market.