Places, Earth Oak of the Golden Dream

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Oak of the Golden Dream

All photographs taken by Kenneth A. Larson. All rights reserved. © 2004 - 2009.

Everyone knows that the first gold discovered in California was at Sutter's Mill. It is not so well known that the first place in California where gold was discovered was actually four hundred miles south of Sutter's Mill, not far from Los Angeles. The first gold discovered in California was in the Placerita Canyon area near Santa Clarita, California. In Placerita Canyon, Jose Francisco de Garcia Lopez y Arballo had a dream while napping under an oak tree on March 9, 1842. Upon awaking, he remembered that he had promised his wife to gather some wild onions for dinner. While gathering the onions from around an old oak, he noticed gold particles clinging to the roots of the bulbs. He rushed home and showed the gold to friends and relatives. The gold was taken to Los Angeles to be assayed and was pronounced of high quality. This set off California's first gold rush and the second largest gold rush in California.. It is estimated that $80,000 in gold was recovered as a result of this discovery.

California State Landmark Number 168.

Location:
Placerita Canyon State and County Park, Placerita Canyon Rd, 4.6 mi NE of Newhall.Oak of the Golden Dream is located outside of the Placerita Nature Center south of Placerita Canyon, on the north side of the road.
Directions:
State Route14 or Sierra Highway to Placerita Canyon. East on Placerita Canyon to Placerita State Park.
Plaque: SE corner I-5 and Lyons Ave, Newhall

Oak of the Golden Dream, Placerita Canyon State Park. Los Angeles County opperates this park and may close it for budget reasons.

Photo date: 6-14-03.

Photo date: 6-14-03.

Plaque Inscription:
Francisco López made California's first authenticated gold discovery on March 9, 1842. While gathering wild onions near an oak tree in Placerita Canyon he found gold particles clinging to the roots of the bulbs. The San Fernando placers and nearby San Feliciano Canyon were worked by Sonoran miners using panning, sluicing and dry washing methods. Lopez's find predated James Marshall strike at Sutter's Mill by six years.

This page last updated: Sunday, 03-Feb-2008 22:40:06 CST

This site maintained by Kenneth A. Larson. Copyright © 2004 - 2009, Kenneth A. Larson. All Rights Reserved. Website content including photographic and graphic images may not be redistributed for use on another website.

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