John Augustus Sutter (February 15, 1803 - June 18, 1880) German born, American adventurer and colonizer, is generally regarded as one of the founding fathers of California. He emigrated to the United States in 1834. He received a land grant from the Mexican governor of California of approximately 50, 000 acres, which he decided to locate at the junction of two rivers in northern California. Employing former Native American Indians, he cleared land, dug irrigation ditches, planted crops, and erected a fortified post which became known as Sutter's Fort. In January 1848 one of Sutter's employees discovered gold on Sutter's property. This triggered the famous gold rush of 1849, during which Sutter's employees deserted him, his herds disappeared, his fields fell into ruin, and his lands were overrun by squatters searching for gold. He began drinking heavily and by 1852 was bankrupt. He died in 1880 at the age of 77.