Gold Rush on the Gilchrist Farm

Catch yourself some Gold Fever and experience life as a Forty-Niner on the farm!

Gold was discovered in California near Sutter’s Fort. Originally designed to be an agricultural
empire, Sutter’s Fort was overrun by gold seekers in 1849. Thousands from all over the world
risked their lives to travel to California in hopes of changing their family’s legacy. The history of
the Gold Rush encapsulates risk, adventure, naive optimism, growth of a state, extreme wealth
for some but mostly hard work for the majority.

Throughout the field trip, your class will experience life as a 49er in the hills near farmland just
like the early days.

The material reinforces what students are learning and more including:

– three main routes to CA and the dangers and adventures of each
– effects of supply and demand as it played out for farmers, merchants, and the 49ers
– how millionaires ‘mined the miners’ to make their money
– inventions entrepreneurs created in 1849 that are household brand names today

Top Highlights of Field Trip:

– Gold Rush program lasts 2 ¼ hours
– Hands-on educational field trip (pan for gold in our sluice, walk through a maze to see if
you can avoid the dead-ends of the Isthmus of Panama, ride down a wave of the Cape Horn
and many other activities)
– Covers material in CA Dept of Education standards 4.3 and 4.4
– Every student gets real gold flakes sourced from Alaska

-no refunds