In May 1834, in order to avoid debtors' prison, his father, John Sutter Sr. left his family in Switzerland, departing for the United States.

Word eventually reached Sutter Jr. that while his father was in California, he had again managed to get himself back into debt.

In 1848, with the aim of helping manage his father's business affairs, John Sutter Jr. emigrated to California.

Sutter Jr. became ill and rarely left the family's residence, Hock Farm, on the Feather River.

The businessmen, including Sam Brannan, would not bring the contract to purchase the land to Sutter Jr. at Hock Farm, so he took a powerful medicine and met them in Sacramento City to sign the terms of the deal.

[3] Being rid of the property and the obligation to take care of it, in 1850, Sutter Jr. moved south to find a climate that suited his needs.

Having recovered his health but never any money from his earlier business dealings he returned to California to try and force payment.

Brannan waited until Sutter Jr. was desperate then offered him $40,000 as payment in full for what was the final slice of his father's land.

Panic stricken young Sutter agreed but even then received no cash, only notes for which he signed receipts for $100,000 of which he also never saw a dime.

With his nerves and health in shambles again and with nothing left to sell he again ran back to Mexico amid accusations of his squandering his father's fortune.

Sutter was named the U.S. consul by President Grant and U.S. Secretary of State Hamilton Fish on July 13, 1870.