2023 marks 175 years since President James Polkconfirmed to Congress in December of 1848 thatgold had been found in the mines of California.After many false starts, the Gold Rush had officiallybegun. This discovery led to a boom in California'seconomy and helped double its population,eventually sparking the need for passengerand freight services in the last 1860s. This set payshomage to an era of prosperity and opportunitysparked by the Gold Rush.