John Sutter

Johann Augustus Sutter (February 15, 1803 – June 18, 1880) was a German-born Swiss pioneer of California known for his association with the California Gold Rush by the discovery of gold by James W. Marshall and the mill making team at Sutter's Mill, and for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area that would eventually become Sacramento, the state's capital. Although famous throughout California for his association with the Gold Rush, Sutter saw his business ventures fail while those of his elder son, John Augustus Sutter, Jr., were more successful.

Biography

Early years

John Augustus Sutter was born Johann August Suter on February 15, 1803 in Kandern,Baden, Germany, and his father came from the nearby town of Rünenberg in Switzerland.

Johann went to school in Neuchâtel, Switzerland and later joined the Swiss army, eventually becoming captain of the artillery. At age 23, Johann married Annette Dübold, the daughter of a rich widow. He operated a store but he was more interested in spending money than making it. Because of family and mounting debts, Johann faced charges that would have him placed in jail. So he decided to dodge trial and ventured to America; he styled his name to Captain John Augustus Sutter.

Dan Fogelberg

Daniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass. He is best known for his early 1980s hits, including "Longer" (1980), "Leader of the Band" (1981), and "Same Old Lang Syne" (1981).

Early life and family

Dan Fogelberg, the youngest of three sons, was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Margaret (née Irvine), a classically trained pianist, and Lawrence Peter Fogelberg, a high school band director who spent most of his career at Peoria's Woodruff High School and Pekin High School. Dan's mother was a Scottish immigrant, and his father was of Swedish descent. His father would later be the inspiration for the song, "Leader of the Band". Using a Mel Bay course book, Dan taught himself to play a Hawaiian slide guitar that his grandfather gave him. He also learned to play the piano. At 14 he joined a band, The Clan, which covered The Beatles. His second band was another cover band, The Coachmen, who, in 1967, released two singles written by Fogelberg on Ledger Records: "Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget" and "Don't Want To Lose Her."

Sutter's Mill

Sutter's Mill was a sawmill owned by 19th-century pioneer John Sutter. It was located in Coloma, California, at the bank of the South Fork American River. Sutter's Mill is most famous for its association with the California Gold Rush.

History

On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall found several flakes of gold and told Sutter. The news got out and that began the transformation of the territory to a bustling center of activity. On February 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in Mexico City which transferred the American Southwest to the United States. During the next seven years, approximately 300,000 people came to California (half by land and half by sea) to seek their fortunes from either mining for gold or selling supplies like picks and shovels to the gold prospectors.

Henry Bigler and Azariah Smith, wrote about their experience in their respective recollection or diary. Like several other people working at the mill, these two workers were discharged veterans of the Mormon Battalion. After this discovery at the mill, the "gold rush" era began and many people came from the east to find fortune. The era helped to transform people like Levi Strauss and Luzena Wilson.

John

John is a common English name and surname:

John may also refer to:

People with the given name

Religious figures