From natural wonders to budding cities, see what California looked like during the 19th century in some of the very first images ever captured in the Golden State.
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California is known for being a home for the stars today, but it's been home to countless others before the rise of Hollywood.
The first Californians, of course, were the Native Americans who settled in the region thousands of years ago. These diverse groups of people spanned the area, eventually separated by language into about 135 distinct dialects.
The Indigenous Americans adapted to the dry climate by harvesting and processing wild nuts and berries and by fishing in the local waters. And for a long time, many of California's natural wonders remained largely untouched by man.
When Europeans first arrived in California, it's believed that the Indigenous population in the region numbered 300,000.
California's Early History With Spain, Mexico, And The United States
Spanish explorers began arriving in modern-day California in the 1530s and 1540s. About 200 years later, the Spanish attempted to colonize the region and assert control over the Indigenous people who lived there. Missions dedicated to converting the Natives to Christianity cropped up across the land. Other settlers began trickling in, creating small townships.
In 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain, and acquired California in the process. New trade policies allowed Californians to trade more openly, and foreigners could also hold land after they were naturalized (and agreed to convert to Catholicism).
In early California, the major hubs would be the seaport of San Francisco and the soon-to-be capital, Sacramento. Notably, German-born Swiss businessman John Sutter arrived in California in 1839. He soon obtained a massive land grant at the junction of the Sacramento and American Rivers, and launched what would eventually be known as "Sutter's Fort."
Library of CongressThe State Capitol at Sacramento City in 1866.
From here, the infamous gold rush would soon follow. On Jan. 24, 1848, James Wilson Marshall came across gold while helping to build a sawmill for John Sutter along the American River. Just weeks after this discovery, the United States gained California after its victory in the Mexican-American War.
Before long, California's population grew exponentially, as the news of gold and riches drew people from around the world. By 1849, about 100,000 new people poured into the state. Many pursued placer mining, a method that involves using water to excavate minerals from alluvial or placer deposits. Hydraulic mining was popular as well — until the government banned the high-pressure water method for its negative environmental impact.
With the mining came countless new businesses to support the area's new residents and their families. Numerous stores, saloons, gambling halls, hotels, and other businesses thrived — especially in San Francisco.
Chinese immigrants played a vital part in early California's development. They not only worked as miners but also helped build the state's railroads. Nevertheless, many white workers were threatened by them, and anti-Chinese sentiment drove a large portion of them into one San Francisco neighborhood: Chinatown.
The Incredible Growth Of San Francisco
The original name for San Francisco was Yerba Buena, back when it was a sleepy trading community of 400 residents in 1845.
In 1846, a group of about 220 Mormons set sail for San Francisco Bay, in the hopes of both escaping religious persecution and establishing their own colony in California. They arrived shortly after the first American flag had been raised in San Francisco.
These early Mormon pioneers were ready to settle. They quickly began to build homes, dig wells, and plant wheat. They also established California's first English-speaking school.
By 1847, Yerba Buena had been rechristened with the name San Francisco. Then known as a "Mormon town," with its honest, industrious, and moral citizens, the tiny village eventually transformed into a bustling little city.
Library of CongressVallejo Street and the Bay from Sansome Street in San Francisco. 1866.
But the real transformation happened after the news broke of the discovery of gold near Sutter's Fort. Many merchants and laborers of San Francisco fled inland to where the gold was. However, on the seas were soon to be many, many more people to replace those who left. By 1860, San Francisco had about 56,000 residents.
Many people who poured into early California arrived via the port of San Francisco. The town quickly became a key entrance point for both people and goods. This transformed San Francisco from a quiet city to one full of saloons and gambling houses.
Then, on April 18, 1906, devastation struck. A terrible earthquake shook the city, killing 3,000 people and igniting massive fires.
About 28,000 buildings were severely damaged or destroyed, and more than half of the surviving locals were left without their homes. Despite the massive setback, the residents eventually rebuilt San Francisco with structures better designed to withstand natural disasters (though it would take another earthquake for authorities to officially change the seismic code).
The Squatters Who Helped Develop The City Of Sacramento
John Sutter's fort, with its vineyard and orchards, became a stopover for many inland settlers coming into California. Sutter's Fort even dispatched one of the rescue missions that attempted to save members of the doomed Donner Party.
Eventually, Sutter decided to establish a town called Sutterville that would make him even more wealthy. Considering he owned 48,000 acres and had already developed a successful fort, he figured the creation of a town would be the next logical step.
But things didn't exactly go according to plan.
Before long, squatters, prospectors, and businessmen overran Sutter's property. Sutter put his son in charge in the hopes that he'd fix the situation, but the squatters still took over much of the land — and drove out people who were loyal to the Sutter family.
The area was soon renamed Sacramento City, and it was first officially recognized in 1850. Later, "City" was dropped from the name, and as it steadily grew amidst the successful mining trade, Sacramento was named the state capital in 1854. At the time, the city had a population of about 10,000 people.
Notably, the famed Pony Express came to Sacramento in 1860, helping to closely tie California to the rest of the states further east. But the iconic mail delivery service only lasted around 18 months, until the rise of the transcontinental telegraph.
Looking back at some of the earliest photos of California in the gallery above, it's incredible to think about how much the state has changed since the 19th century.
Next, go inside the history of Route 66. Then, check out these photos that show what the Wild West mining towns were really like.
