Rise, Ruin & Restoration: A History of Sutter's Fort

More about the book

Every year, Sutter’s Fort attracts more than 100,000 visitors from all over the world, and occasionally the very famous come. Queen Elizabeth II scheduled Sutter’s Fort as a must-see during her 1963 tour of California. Rise, Ruin and Restoration answers the questions visitors ask: • Why (and how) did Swiss immigrant John Sutter build a high-walled fortress in the wilderness? Who were his employees? • Who were the pioneers that traveled to California in covered wagons, making Sutter’s Fort their initial destination? • What was the role Sutter’s Fort played in the rescue of the Donner Party? The Bear Flag Revolt? The American conquest of California? • Why did the 1848 gold discovery bring ruin—and who owned Sutter’s Fort after John Sutter left? When did the structure decay and collapse? • Why was it important to restore Sutter’s Fort in the 1890s? How much did it cost? • What great discovery in the 20th century changed the ways in which visitors experience Sutter’s Fort today?