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In the history books we learn that gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill and that precipitated the famous Gold Rush of 1849. Someone told me that gold was actually discovered much earlier in the West. Is that true?

by | Aug 1, 2001 | Inside History

In the history books we learn that gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill and that precipitated the famous Gold Rush of 1849. Someone told me that gold was actually discovered much earlier in the West. Is that true? Lorette Warren Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Yes, it’s true. Jose Ortiz discovered gold south of Santa Fe in 1832. The boomtown of Delores sprang from the strike and it is credited with being the first strike in the West.


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