Today In SCV History: March 9, 1802 - Placerita Canyon Gold Discoverer Francisco López Born
img:is([sizes="auto" i], [sizes^="auto," i]) { contain-intrinsic-size: 3000px 1500px }
Today In SCV History: March 9, 1802
Today In SCV History: March 9, 1802 - Placerita Canyon Gold Discoverer Francisco López Born
img:is([sizes="auto" i], [sizes^="auto," i]) { contain-intrinsic-size: 3000px 1500px }
Today In SCV History: March 9, 1802
Source: KHTS Hometown Station
Date: 03/09/2026 9:00am
Article Summary:
**Today in SCV History (March 9, 1802): Birth of Francisco López, Discoverer of Gold in Placerita Canyon**
Francisco López, credited with California’s first documented gold discovery, was born on March 9, 1802. In 1842, while working at Rancho San Francisco, he reportedly uncovered gold in Placerita Canyon—an event that predated the 1848 Gold Rush and helped lay the groundwork for California’s gold mining era. Though some details of the discovery remain debated, López’s find remains a key moment in the state’s early history.
Read article here »
