We the residents of the State of California, concerned individuals, and the descendants of the founding Pioneer Families of Coloma California, ask the Governor of the State of California, Gavin Newsom to honor our families by acknowledging our historical contributions to California’s Goldrush, and the role our families played in shaping this great state. We urge Gavin Newsom to tell the factual history of how State Officials manipulated maps, resurveyed and seized land through eminent domain to build a state park,  The harm done to these families continue today considering grave markers were placed in the 20th century out of respect yet many of their bones don’t rest under those markers. Coloma California, a gold rush town was founded on the cultural and ethnically diverse contributions of California’s early pioneering families. People came by boat, and across the plains by foot and wagon train in pursuit of bettering their condition. This influx of men, women, and families in search of wealth included individuals from around the world, and enslavers from the South who brought their slaves with them to mine for gold, cook, clean and care for their needs. 

Many of these early Californians thrived, opened stores, built homes, farmed, cultivated, and sold what was planted. The Black families thrived as well. Post statehood and California entering the union in 1850, those formally enslaved were freed, allowing for them to own land and property - building wealth alongside their white neighbors. Two of the most successful Black families were the Gooch-Burgess and Monroe’. These families would own some 400 plus acres, two of the town’s blacksmith shops, orchards and a local store. Coloma became an amalgam of families, working together in cohesion in pursuit of a common goal. That goal was to continue to build and prosper. 

In 1939 and again in 1947 State of California Officials moved to seize property from families living in Coloma to build Marshall Gold Discovery State Park. Many resisted, but in the end the State won, using eminent domain proceeding to take land, farms, orchards, and homes from some 20 familiesthat helped build Coloma.

It's imperative to our history, California’s history that the true and complete story of how California State Officials took property from California Pioneers to build a state park, leaving many with nothing. To right this wrong we ask the Governor to do the following:

• Acknowledge the many contributions made by early Pioneering Families, the harm done to them and their descendants by resurveying and seizing land through eminent domain. Black, Irish, Italian, Chinese and many other families called Coloma home. They built businesses, owned property, farmed and grew fruit. Worked in industries  that helped sustain the local communities. These families were forced off their land, removed from their homes when State officials seized their land. Many of these displaced families would never regain the wealth they lost. 

• Restoration and restitution made to Pioneering Families. Park ownership transferred from State Parks and Recreation to the Pioneering Family Descendants.  All current home and land owner shall not be moved or uprooted from their property and parts of the area shall remain a park just as Pearly Monroe intended for it to be in his 1940s newspaper article. 

• Formal acknowledgment and apology to the Pioneering Families and their descendants. 

This is an opportunity for State of California Leadership to right a wrong by addressing the systemic overreach of power that resulted in the seizing of property by State Officials to build state parks. Please make this right.

CA African American Gold Rush Association & Descendant.- Jonathan Burgess

Where Is My Land - Kavon Ward

Monroe Family Descendants -Dawn Basciano