▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁the ▁following ▁month , ▁a ▁flo od ▁of ▁American ▁sett lers ▁desc ended ▁upon ▁the ▁valley . ▁Just ▁a ▁year ▁before , ▁Benjamin ▁Davis ▁Wilson ▁" dro ve ▁a ▁her d ▁of ▁cattle ▁from ▁his ▁R ivers ide ▁ran cho ▁through ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ▁to ▁Stock ton ▁and ▁reported ▁seeing ▁not ▁a ▁single ▁white ▁man ". ▁But ▁after ▁the ▁Americans ▁took ▁over , ▁em igr ants ▁began ▁trick ling ▁in ▁increased ▁numbers , ▁establish ing ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁King ston ▁City , ▁Mill erton , ▁and ▁F res no ▁City . ▁The ▁new com ers ▁also ▁included ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁M orm ons ▁led ▁by ▁Samuel ▁Bran nan ▁who ▁established ▁a ▁settlement ▁at ▁the ▁confl u ence ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁and ▁the ▁Stanis laus , ▁called ▁New ▁Hope ▁or ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁City . R ose , ▁p . ▁ 2 6 ▁ ▁The ▁real ▁infl ux ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁when ▁a ▁gold ▁strike ▁on ▁the ▁American ▁set ▁off ▁the ▁California ▁Gold ▁R ush . ▁Within ▁one ▁year , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ▁increased ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁city ▁of ▁Stock ton , ▁on ▁the ▁lower ▁San ▁Jo aqu in , ▁quickly ▁grew ▁from ▁a ▁sleep y ▁back water ▁to ▁a ▁th riv ing ▁trad ing ▁center , ▁the ▁stopping - off ▁point ▁for ▁min ers ▁head ed ▁to ▁the ▁gold ▁fields ▁in ▁the