Monthly Archives: November 2010

John Bidwell and his two friends arrived at Sutter’s establishment on November 28th, 1841. Sutter had himself only been there a few months, and had not yet built Sutter’s Fort. At best he had the two-story adobe that still stands … Continue reading →

John Bidwell and his two companions had spent a week slogging through rain and mud on their way to Sutter’s. They were out of provisions, hungry and tired. On the day before they arrived at Sutter’s the weather finally cleared. … Continue reading →

On November 25th John Bidwell was traveling between Marsh’s ranch and Sutter’s establishment on the Sacramento River. He had probably gotten about as far as someplace just west of Elk Grove. Marsh had told Bidwell that the trip would only … Continue reading →

John Bidwell had heard that a man by the name of John Sutter was starting a colony about a hundred miles to the north of Marsh’s ranch in the Sacramento Valley. The Mexicans had colonized the land along the coast, … Continue reading →

John Marsh went to San Jose and got passports for everyone in the Bidwell-Bartleson Party—everyone except John Bidwell. Bidwell suspected that Dr. Marsh wanted to keep him at his ranch as a useful person to have around, but Bidwell was … Continue reading →

Google reminded me that today is the birthday of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, author of such classics as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kidnapped, and that consummate pirate adventure, Treasure Island. And what does RLS have to do with … Continue reading →

One of the men, Michael Nye, who gone down to San Jose to look for work cam back to Marsh’s ranch with the report that the other men were “detained” there, and the Mexican authorities wanted the rest of the … Continue reading →

“I went to R. Livermore’s, which is about 20 miles from Marsh’s, nearly W[est]; he has a Spanish wife and is surrounded by 5 or 6 Spanish families.” Robert Livermore was an Englishman; one of those sailors who jumped ship … Continue reading →

John Bidwell stayed at Marsh’s rancho, while fifteen of the company went to “the pueblo of St. Joseph” (San Jose) to look for work. Bidwell wanted to pump Marsh for more information about California and its resources, as well as … Continue reading →

On November 4th the Bidwell-Bartleson Party finally arrived at the home of Dr. John Marsh. Considering the glowing reports of California that Marsh had sent back east, Bidwell was surprised at the primitive conditions he was living in. He had … Continue reading →