How Epic Fortunes Were Created During the California Gold Rush

(via Priceconomics)Before the California Golf Rush of 1849, San Francisco had a population of about 500 people. The news of gold changed everything. In 1849 and 1850, one out of every 100 Americans traveled to California, nearly 200,000 people, dreaming of gold. Most of them didn’t find any, but they put San Francisco on the map. The people who really prospered from the Gold Rush were those who sold goods or services to all those newcomers.