Monthly Archives: May 2016

From John Bidwell’s Journal: Monday, 31st. This morning about 10 o’clock we met six wagons with 18 men, with fur and robes on their way from Ft. Larimie [sic] to St. Louis. Ft. Larimie is situated on Larimie’s fork near … Continue reading →

On May 27, 1864 John Bidwell arrived in New York City. He had traveled via the Isthmus of Panama from San Francisco to New York; the trip took a little over 3 weeks. He kept a journal with very brief … Continue reading →

From John Bidwell’s Journal: Thursday, 27th: Started late, being detained at repairing the wagons. The day was warm, but the evening mild and pleasant. Encamped in a commodious valley, well-watered by a beautiful little stream which glided smoothly through the … Continue reading →

Bidwell’s Journal: Sunday, May 23rd: All the oxen were gone this morning excepting nine. There was considerable complaint among the company, some saying at this slow rate of traveling we would have to winter among the Black Hills, and eat … Continue reading →

Friday, 21st. Our oxen left us last night, and it was 9 o’clock before we were all ready to start, passed a considerable stream called Vermillion, a branch of the Kanzas. On its banks were finer timber than we had … Continue reading →

This bookshelf is not my bookshelf. This Nancy is Nancy Wiegman, interviewer extraordinaire. Back in November Nancy interviewed Steve Ferchaud and myself about our new picture book biography of John and Annie Bidwell, and also a bit about The Miner … Continue reading →

On May 19th the Bidwell-Bartleson Party started for California. John Bidwell, as secretary of the group, kept a journal. Later, while at Bodega Bay, he tidied up his journal entries and sent them back to a friend in Missouri, who … Continue reading →

From A Journey to California, 1841, by John Bidwell: May, Tuesday 18th 1841. Having waited at this place (2 miles W. of Kanzas river) 2 days, and all the Company being arrived, except those heretofore mentioned, the Company was convened … Continue reading →

This has been a weekend full of Chico history events. Saturday morning I gave a talk at the Chico Museum on “Early Days at Rancho Chico,” all about John Bidwell’s activities during the 1850s. I crammed as much history as … Continue reading →