John A. Sutter

John Sutter
John Sutter, c. 1850
Born	Johann August Suter 23 February 1803 (1803-02-15) Kandern, Margraviate of Baden, a German state in the Holy Roman Empire of Germanic States
Died	June 18, 1880(1880-06-18) (aged 77) Washington D.C., United States
Spouse(s)	Annette D'beld

John Augustus Sutter (February 20, 1803 – June 18, 1880), born Johann August Suter, was a German-born Swiss pioneer of California known for his association to the California Gold Rush from the discovery of gold by his employee James W. Marshall and the mill making team at Sutter's Mill, and for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area that would eventually become Sacramento, the state's capital. Although famous throughout California, Sutter saw his business ventures fail. Those of his elder son, John Augustus Sutter, Jr., were more successful.

John August Sutter was born on February 15, 1803 in Kandern,Baden, Germany, and his father came from the nearby town of Rünenberg in Switzerland.

Johann went to school in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. At age 21, Johann married the daughter of a rich widow. He operated a store but he was more interested in spending money than making it. Because of family and mounting debts, Johann faced charges that would have him placed in jail. So he decided to dodge trial and ventured to America; he styled his name to Captain John Augustus Sutter.

In May 1834, he left his wife and five children behind in Burgdorf, Switzerland, and with a French passport he boarded the ship Sully which travelled from Le Havre, France, to New York City where it arrived on July 14, 1834.

In North America, John August Sutter (as he would call himself for the rest of his life) undertook extensive travels. Before he went to the U.S., he had learned Spanish and English in addition to Swiss French. Together with 35 Germans he moved from the St. Louis area to Santa Fe, New Mexico, a province of Mexico, then moved to the town of Westport, Oregon Territory. On April 1, 1838, he joined a group of missionaries, led by the fur trapper Andrew Drips, and traveled the Oregon Trail to Fort Vancouver in Oregon Territory, which they reached in October. Sutter originally planned to cross the Siskiyou Mountains during the winter, but acting chief factor James Douglas convinced him that such an attempt would be perilous. Sutter was charged £21 by Douglas to arrange transportation on the British bark Columbia for himself and his eight followers.