John Sutter: California Pioneer

The poignant story of the Swiss immigrant who worked his way to California to seek riches is told through the use of primary source images. Once settled in the fertile area around Sacramento, California, Sutter attempted to establish a utopian community of settlers. The community of workers he amassed remained vital and loyal to Sutter until the first sighting of gold was confirmed on his land in 1849. As his workers left his employ to seek their own fortune, Sutter’s cultivated land was destroyed, and his herds were butchered by squatters. By 1852, he was bankrupt.