This storybook details the accidental discovery of gold by James Marshall in 1848, which sparked a massive influx of fortune seekers to California. Marshall found gold while constructing a sawmill for John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant who had established Sutter's Fort in the Sacramento River Valley. Despite attempts to keep the discovery secret, the news spread rapidly, attracting thousands of "forty-niners" and immigrants worldwide, all eager to find gold. The influx dramatically increased the population around Sutter's Fort and catalyzed an economic boom as businesses catered to the needs of miners. However, the gold rush was short-lived, as easily accessible gold was depleted by 1855. Despite the rush's end, many settlers remained in California, drawn by its mild climate and fertile land.