John Sutter and James Marshall came to California seeking a brighter future and a new start. Sutter, a persuasive entrepreneur, arrived in 1839 intending to build his own settlement, while Marshall came by way of Oregon Territory, became a farmer, and then fought in the Mexican-American War, during which he lost his cattle and his land. In California, both men hoped for a second opportunity. Sutter obtained a 50,000-acre grant from the Mexican government to build Sutter’s Fort and planned a new town called New Helvetia, but he needed lumber for construction. In 1847, he hired Marshall to build a sawmill to help make New Helvetia a reality. Their plans unraveled after Marshall found gold. Neither man made money from the gold rush, workers deserted the mill site and Sutter’s Fort in search of easier fortunes, the sawmill failed without labor, gold seekers soon overran the area, and Sutter’s Fort eventually closed, leaving both men back where they had started.