I am excited to be presenting at two of my favorite venues on two of my favorite subjects.

First up: The Annual Meeting of the Butte County Historical Society on Saturday, November 21st at 1:30 p.m. at the BCHS Museum, 1749 Spencer Avenue in Oroville. I’ll be telling the life story of Nancy Kelsey, the first American woman to come overland to California. As the only female member of the Bidwell-Bartleson Party in 1841, she crossed the plains and the mountains, carrying her little girl in her arms. And that was only the beginning of her eventful life in the Golden State.

Second: Sunday, December 6th, 4-6 p.m., at the Chico History Museum, 141 Salem Street in downtown Chico. Here at last — the book I have been working on for the last year and a half. Written by Dave Veith and completed by me, Tower in the Trees is a comprehensive history of Bidwell Mansion, from the time it was just a notion in the mind of John Bidwell and a plan in the hands of architect Henry W. Cleaveland, through the years in which the Bidwells called it home, to its restoration. Dave Veith did a fantastic job covering the complete history of Bidwell Mansion, including its time as a college dormitory, the campaign to save and restore it, its rebirth as a state historic park, and the fight to save it once again when threatened by closure in 2012.

Although it was burned by an arsonist in December 2024, Bidwell Mansion lives in the hearts of Chico residents and may yet rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes. I will only be able to tell a small bit of its lengthy history in this presentation, but I will welcome questions and discussion.

This event will be the book launch for Tower in the Trees: A History of Bidwell Mansion. The book contains over 400 pages of stories and photos of Bidwell Mansion. Published by The Association for Northern California Historical Research, the book will be available for purchase at the lecture.

See you at one or both museums!