Our Chapter History ~

Our Chapter was organized May 24, 1939 in Del Paso Heights, (North Sacramento) California with the name of General John A. Sutter. It is the 2nd chapter to be organized in Sacramento--the first being the Sacramento Chapter in 1921. Our Chapter was originally established for working women, since the Sacramento Chapter met on Mondays. Our regular meetings are on the 3rd Saturday of each month from September to May, unless there is a State or District Meeting scheduled on that day.

About John A. Sutter ~

Our Chapter was named for Johann Augustus Sutter, who was born a German Swiss and arrived in California in 1839. He built Sutter's Fort on the mouth of the American River the same year. Receiving a military appointment and a large land grant of some 76 square miles from the Mexican government he developed an empire. Gold was discovered at his sawmill in 1848, causing the famous gold rush of 1849.

~1846 Drawing of Sutter's Fort~

( by Lt. Joseph Warren Revere ~ descendant of Paul Revere)

Photo from: Sacramento An Illustrated History: 1839-1874 From Sutter's Fort to Capital City,
California Historical Society 1973

Usually known as Captain, the Mexican governor Alvarado bestowed the title of "General" upon him (as he was a Mexican citizen) to ensure the security of the region. Sutter gained a reputation as a great friend of Americans coming to California, even sending out rescue parties when emigrant groups became stranded in the Sierras. From Sutter's Fort in 1846, the first rescue attempt of the ill-fated Donner Party set out. While Yankee California was thus slowly growing, John Sutter was embarking on an enterprise of his own. He was building a mill on the American River. When an employee came to him with the first few flakes of gold on January 24th, 1848, Sutter's first concern was to ensure that his men finished building the mill.

Hence he got their promise to both keep the gold secret and continue working. He then "sent" a man to the Governor to validate his lease of the surrounding land. The man he sent, Charles Bennett, met a friend at San Francisco who had been a miner. The friend, Isaac Humphrey, verified that what Bennett carried was indeed gold. The two men returned to the mill, and soon a mini-gold boom had all Sutter's men washing pan fulls of rock in the American River. Word made its way to San Francisco, but at first it was disbelieved. The editor of Sam Brannan's California Star went to investigate in March, but he went accompanied by Sutter himself. When the gold panners saw Sutter coming, they hid their pans and went back to work. The Star declared the rumors of gold to be "humbug". Yet a few days later, a visitor from Sutter's fort paid for his goods in pure gold (the merchant haggled a price of $8 an ounce -- no one knew exactly what gold was worth at the time).

Today, of the original fort, only the adobe and oak central two-story building remains. The fort's outer walls and rooms, which had disappeared by the 1860's have been reconstructed. Sutter's Fort and the adjacent Indian Museum with its important collection of Indian artifacts are open daily and operated by the State of California.

~Sutter's Fort Today~

Photo by Carol Keller

Our Chapter supported our NSDAR President General's Heritage Tree Planting by dedicating 3 Valley Oaks at Sutter's Fort State Park in 2002. They can be found on the K Street side, right across from the Eastern Star Temple.

Take a Virtual Tour of Sutter's Fort !

Learn more about Sacramento California's History !

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