4045

Sacramento Land Deed for John A. Sutter, with Ties to Other Major Gold Rush Figures [201902]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Paper Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Sacramento Land Deed for John A. Sutter, with Ties to Other Major Gold Rush Figures [201902]
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A major piece for our Gold Rush collectors! This is an Abstract of Title for Lot 5 at I&J and 3rd & 4th Streets in Sacramento. As stated on the deed, this land was derived by Grant from the Mexican Government to John A. Sutter on June 18, 1841, recorded Fed. 6, 1851. The 4pp. document traces the ownership changes (chain of title), from John Sutter to his son and back to numerous others, including Brannan, Bruce, Graham & Wetzler (Sam Brannan) in 1850 and their chain of title incl. sale to James B Haggin (business partner of George Hearst) in the 1860s. Last entry is 1865.

John Sutter's Sacramento land claims involved two Mexican-era grants: an 1841 Alvarado grant for 11 square leagues, later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, and a disputed 1845 Micheltorena grant for 22 square leagues, which the Court rejected. Lengthy legal battles over surveys and boundaries followed, with disputes culminating in multiple surveys between 1859 and 1863. Meanwhile, tensions with settlers led to the violent Squatters' Riot of 1850, reflecting the chaos of land ownership during California's transition to U.S. rule. The Squatters' Riot of August 1850 in Sacramento erupted when newly arrived settlers, many without legal title, refused to vacate land claimed under John Sutter's Mexican-era grant. Tensions escalated as city officials attempted to enforce property rights, leading to an armed confrontation between squatters and authorities that left several people dead, including the city's first mayor, Hardin Bigelow, wounded. The clash underscored deep divisions over land ownership during California's early statehood and the rapid influx of Gold Rush migrants.

John Sutter (1803-1880) was a Swiss-born pioneer who established New Helvetia, a large agricultural settlement near present-day Sacramento, California, under a Mexican land grant in 1839. His fort became a key supply hub for settlers, but the 1848 discovery of gold at his nearby mill sparked the California Gold Rush, leading to the loss of his lands to squatters and legal disputes. Despite his early influence in California's development, Sutter died in relative poverty after decades of unsuccessful petitions for compensation.

Sam Brannan (1819-1889) was an American settler, businessman, and newspaper publisher who became California's first millionaire of the Gold Rush era. A former Mormon leader, he publicized the 1848 gold discovery in The California Star and profited by selling goods to miners rather than mining himself. Though initially one of the most powerful figures in San Francisco and Sacramento, he later lost much of his fortune through bad investments and personal troubles. Brannan was a friend of John A. Sutter Jr.

Document is 17 x 10.75" Soiling. Part of the back cover is detached, but present.

This is a fantastic Gold Rush piece that highlights the development of Sacramento at the start of the Gold Rush and California statehood, with ties to Gold Rush pioneers.
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Date: 1865
Country (if not USA):
State: California
City: Sacramento
Provenance: