Outside Corner



As the bicycle race speeds into Sacramento, the characters in How to Moon a Cat make a quick stop at Sutter's Fort State Historic Park.







Outer Corner v2From How to Moon a Cat, Chpt 29:

"Constructed in the 1840's, these whitewashed brick walls had formed the cornerstone of Swiss immigrant John Sutter's ambitious trading and agricultural enterprise. In its heyday, the stronghold of Sutter's Fort provided a full-service rest stop for travelers through the region—those depleted from the trek over the Sierras and those gearing up for the climb. Sutter was well on his way toward achieving his vision of a new Swiss empire when he lost it all in the sweeping social upheaval of the Gold Rush..."

Outside Grounds

 

 

"Soon after the discovery of gold near a watermill in the nearby Sierra foothills, Sutter's vast estate was overrun by hoards of fortune seeking Forty-Niners. Sutter was besieged from all sides: he couldn't keep gold-seeking trespassers off his property, and he couldn't persuade his gold-infatuated employees to stay on it long enough to complete their work. Sutter's once-vast manual labor force abandoned their posts to look for gold, leaving fields unplowed and stock untended. The estate crumbled before his eyes. That which wasn't ransacked by vagrant miners quickly fell into ruin from lack of maintenance."

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