The California Gold Rush ran from 1848 to 1855 in Sierra Nevada and North Carolina. Over 300,000 people rushed to the area to pan for gold. It had such an influence that many houses and roads had to be built and it resulted in California becoming its own State.
The California Gold Rush started at a place called Sutter’s Mill near Coloma, El Dorado County, California. At the time this area was known as Sierra Nevada because California was not yet a recognized State.
The first person to find gold in California was James W. Marshall on January 24, 1848. He found a piece of shiny metal (gold) in a water mill on the American River at Sutter’s Mill.
The owner of the mill, John Sutter, wanted to keep the gold discovery a secret because he thought it may be bad for his farming plans. However, rumors quickly spread and soon the New York Herald newspaper was reporting the discovery of gold.
The area where the gold was discovered became known as the Gold Country and the Mother Lode Country.
I think the red should be county,not country.
No, the word "country" is used a lot to indicate regions reknown for something in specific.
Another example is Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Or all the time that the media refer to "coal country" in the Appalachians.
