Monthly Archives: February 2024

Murder at the Mansion — The Maid’s Testimony

Shortly before 9:00 p.m., on the evening of February 27, 1900, John A. McFeely left his hardware store on Second Street and headed for home. As he neared the footbridge over Chico Creek he heard Charles Cunningham’s dogs barking at … Continue reading

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Murder at the Mansion

Fred Petersen, the head gardener at Bidwell Mansion, got an early start on the morning of February 28, 1900. And it was not long after his arrival that he made a grisly discovery. At 6:30 a.m., just as it was … Continue reading

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Ladies! Here’s Your Chance!

Ladies! Make your plans now for February 29th! 2024 is a Leap Year, and that means, according to an old custom, it is a year when women can propose marriage to men. Traditionally, it was the man’s role to propose … Continue reading

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February Celebrations

The Weekly Butte Record found a number of reasons to celebrate in February. All the following come from the issue for February 13, 1864. The event that got the most coverage was the completion of the California Northern Railroad, linking … Continue reading

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Abraham Lincoln and Freedom

February 12th 2024 marks the 215th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States, who led the country through four years of a bloody and bitter war, a war fought to end slavery and to maintain a government … Continue reading

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A Visit to Ide Adobe State Historic Park

Today is a beautiful day to be out and about, so I went to William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park in Red Bluff to walk their StoryWalk. The guides at Ide Adobe do a StoryWalk every month, featuring a … Continue reading

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StoryWalk at Ide Adobe

Alvin Coffey is getting some attention during Black History Month! The Red Bluff Daily News announced that my book, Alvin Coffey: The True Story of an African American Forty-Niner, will be the featured book at a StoryWalk activity at Ide … Continue reading

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Reverend Mr. Obadiah Summers

Obadiah Summers served as pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chico in 1885, before moving on to serve congregations and build up churches in Sacramento, San Francisco, and Oakland. Summers was born a slave in Missouri in 1844. … Continue reading

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