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- Feb 2, 2011
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JJDESIGNS NEWS UPDATE 2nd MARCH 2026
THE GOLD RUSH
The discovery of gold or silver in the West was usually followed by a rush of people attempting to arrive at the new district first to get established in mining or business. New mining camps were hastily constructed out of materials that could be easily transported over great distances and on difficult terrain. The most common early structure in these camps was the canvas tent.
Tents were used for both shelter and to operate early businesses in the camps. The entrepreneur with the tent could be in business weeks before his rivals who attempted to build a more elaborate structure, and those first few weeks were a lucrative time to be selling goods or services to the hundreds or even thousands of people pouring into a new camp.
An advantage of tents is that they could be packed up and moved to the next camp in the event that the rush to the current camp turned out to be a bust. Many mining rushes were the result of misinformation or outright fraud. People who’s only investment in the camp was a tent on the ground could pack up and move on to the next rush with little trouble.
Tent cities usually didn’t last more than a year. Any camp that proved to have rich enough mines to last longer than a season would usually transition to wood buildings fairly quickly.
More tents for the Gold Rush series will be previewed over the next few months.
Meanwhile back at the mining area, there are still several sets in production, such as the waterboys.
African Americans participated actively in mining, often working alongside Chinese, Portuguese and other miners. Some enslaved men were promised freedom after producing a certain amount of gold, though these promises were frequently broken, prompting escapes and independent livelihoods.
These free African Americans also became entrepreneurs, establishing businesses, restaurants and services that supported mining communities.
Notable individuals, such as Stephen Spencer Hill, purchased their freedom and acquired land, combining farming with mining to build wealth.
During the Gold Rush 1848 – 1855 over 2,000 African Americans migrated to California, with the majority being free men and women seeking better lives, while approximately 200-300 were enslaved and brought by their owners to work in the mines
GOLD RUSH TENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER THIS YEAR.
Best wishes,
john jenkins
THE GOLD RUSH
The discovery of gold or silver in the West was usually followed by a rush of people attempting to arrive at the new district first to get established in mining or business. New mining camps were hastily constructed out of materials that could be easily transported over great distances and on difficult terrain. The most common early structure in these camps was the canvas tent.
Tents were used for both shelter and to operate early businesses in the camps. The entrepreneur with the tent could be in business weeks before his rivals who attempted to build a more elaborate structure, and those first few weeks were a lucrative time to be selling goods or services to the hundreds or even thousands of people pouring into a new camp.
An advantage of tents is that they could be packed up and moved to the next camp in the event that the rush to the current camp turned out to be a bust. Many mining rushes were the result of misinformation or outright fraud. People who’s only investment in the camp was a tent on the ground could pack up and move on to the next rush with little trouble.
Tent cities usually didn’t last more than a year. Any camp that proved to have rich enough mines to last longer than a season would usually transition to wood buildings fairly quickly.
More tents for the Gold Rush series will be previewed over the next few months.
Meanwhile back at the mining area, there are still several sets in production, such as the waterboys.
African Americans participated actively in mining, often working alongside Chinese, Portuguese and other miners. Some enslaved men were promised freedom after producing a certain amount of gold, though these promises were frequently broken, prompting escapes and independent livelihoods.
These free African Americans also became entrepreneurs, establishing businesses, restaurants and services that supported mining communities.
Notable individuals, such as Stephen Spencer Hill, purchased their freedom and acquired land, combining farming with mining to build wealth.
During the Gold Rush 1848 – 1855 over 2,000 African Americans migrated to California, with the majority being free men and women seeking better lives, while approximately 200-300 were enslaved and brought by their owners to work in the mines
GOLD RUSH TENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER THIS YEAR.
Best wishes,
john jenkins
