8 Interesting Gold Rush Facts The Gold Rush began after James Wilson Marshall, a carpenter and sawmill operator, found gold in the American River of California in 1848. Sadly, Marshall never made a profit from his discovery, and as a result of his breakthrough, the sawmill eventually closed after all of the workers spent their time searching for gold. Although Gold Rushers were predominantly Americans, gold seekers also traveled from Latin America, Europe, China and Australia.  Word travels fast, even in [...]