A man with a metal detector and a pick-axe went wandering his property in Nevada County last year and found what is apparently the largest single gold nugget ever discovered in the Sierra foothills, weighing 8.2 pounds (the largest known nugget found in California was in Butte County in 1859, and it weighed 54 pounds). The chunk of gold was recently auctioned off for $460,000, and in the same expedition last year, the property owner, identified as Jim Sanders of San Francisco, found other nuggets weighing four and ten ounces. Assayers are heading in on May 16 with some radar equipment to figure out how much more gold there is on the property, which is in an unidentified, woody location near the town of Washington. Estimates of the value of the potential gold claim are anywhere between $1.5 million and $6 million, though claims throughout California history have turned out to be less than what they initially seemed. more ›

We came across this curiosity in the Chron this a.m.: several generations worth of free-floating sediment, upon which several pieces of the SF Bay's ecosystem depends, has finally washed out to sea after first being introduced via Central Valley rivers during the Gold Rush. The mud cannons used by gold miners siphoned so many tons of mud that eventually settled in the bay, that it has apparently taken this long to disappear, say scientists. We're unclear of all the bad implications though, but it seems to have something to do with global warming and the ecosystem needing to adapt back to its pre-1849 days of lower sediment levels. Anyway, herein lies your historical aquatic educational moment for this Monday morning. more ›

Timecapsule: February 1852 more ›

Timecapsule: February 1, 1849 more ›

Timecapsule: November 15, 1856 more ›

In the middle part of the 19th century, a thick set of whiskers were an essential facial feature of every man of Victorian respectability. more ›

-- The Gold Rush (1925): The Tramp makes his stamp here (via playing with his food) as one of America's most beloved comedic characters of the silent era. Screens tonight at 8:45 p.m. at the Castro Theatre; $6-9. more ›

For those of you who don't care what happens to Pam and Jim: more ›

clipper ship. A pirate ship? A tragic capsizing? What's the word? more ›

Photo of four members of the S.F. 49er Gold Rush cheerleading squad on a sunny day more ›

Having worked in SoMa for seven years, we consider ourselves at least slightly informed as to what's doing in that neighborhood. So we read the New York Times' "36 Hours: SoMa, San Francisco," with some interest, hoping to see some of our favorite drop-in spots in print. more ›

You don't have to lose at Monster Park to be a Niner -- it's almost time for the Third Annual City Guides' Scavenger Hunt, and it's got a Gold Rush theme this year! City Guides are the volunteers who lead walks through historic sights and sites in San Francisco -- like the Barbary Coast, the murals of the Mission, and the remnants of the 1906 Earthquake -- so you know anything they plan's going to be city-centric and fun to boot. So strap on your mining cap and bring your patty pan as you scour the city for the answers to the Gold Rush themed clues that City Guides will provide -- you don't need to know city history to play, and they promise that all clues are located within three blocks of a MUNI line (City Guides provides the tokens. Watch out, Chris Daly!). Further adding to the wacky -- certain clues will require you to interact with City Guides playing historical characters at designated spots to figure out what you're looking for. Is that you, Clementine? The scavenger hunt takes place on Sunday October 16 -- but register before Friday the 30th to secure your spot! (Prices go up after the 30th, and go up if you register on the day of). Either organize your own team or be assigned to one! The team who gets the most clues right wins the whole shebang. And FYI -- a friend of SFist is in fact the reigning champion from last year's scavenger hunt, and we know she's the one to beat! more ›