Author Archives: nancyleek

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About nancyleek

Nancy is a retired librarian who lives in Chico, California. She is the author of John Bidwell: The Adventurous Life of a California Pioneer.

Dan Barnett’s Review

Posted on November 15, 2015 by nancyleek

Dan Barnett’s review of John and Annie is in the Chico Enterprise-Record this morning. How nice to get an early morning e-mail from Carla Resnick telling me about it, and just as nice to read it in the print newspaper … Continue reading →

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The Book is Here!

Posted on November 9, 2015 by nancyleek

John and Annie Bidwell: The Long and the Short of It is now available! It will be in the General’s Store (the gift shop) at Bidwell Mansion starting next weekend. Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is open Saturday, Sunday, and … Continue reading →

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November 1, 1841

Posted on November 1, 2015 by nancyleek

From John Bidwell’s trail journal: November. Monday, 1st. The Company tarried to kill game; an abundance of wild fowl and 13 deer and antelopes were brought in. My breakfast, this morning, formed a striking contrast with that of yesterday which … Continue reading →

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Goldfieldsbooks.com

Posted on October 26, 2015 by nancyleek

This blog has a new name — it is now goldfieldsbooks.com. Don’t leave out the “s” in the middle or you won’t find it. It’s still the same northern California history blog, but I’ll also be promoting my new book … Continue reading →

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Coming Soon!

Posted on October 24, 2015 by nancyleek

The book is almost here! This is what the cover will look like. It’s at the printer now, and in a week or two a pallet of books will show up on my doorstep, and then the fun begins. I … Continue reading →

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Manjiro’s Return Home

Posted on October 19, 2015 by nancyleek

Manjiro arrived in Honolulu in October of 1850 with his earnings from the goldfields in his pocket. He went immediately to find his friends, Denzo, Toraemon, and Goemon. Denzo and Goemon were willing to risk the return, but Toraemon, knowing … Continue reading →

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Manjiro in California

Posted on October 7, 2015 by nancyleek

Captain William Whitfield and his wife took Manjiro in, treated him like a son, and sent him to school, where he excelled. Then when he was nineteen years old, Manjiro went to sea once again aboard an American whaling ship. … Continue reading →

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A Japanese Man in the Gold Rush

Posted on October 6, 2015 by nancyleek

In May 1850 a young man stepped off a ship in San Francisco. Nothing remarkable there. Thousands of young men were arriving in San Francisco on their way to the goldfields. Like the others, this young man had come to … Continue reading →

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A Picture Book for John and Annie

Posted on October 1, 2015 by nancyleek

Coming soon! A picture book biography of John and Annie Bidwell for young readers. I want to show you some samples pages. Ever since I did my book on John Bidwell in 2010, teachers have asked me for an easier … Continue reading →

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Chico in the 1850s

Posted on September 18, 2015 by nancyleek

Continuing the recollections of D. F. Crowder. The following appeared in the Chico Enterprise for December 27, 1917. Crowder came to Chico in 1856, at the age of twelve, so he saw it before it was even a town. Bidwell … Continue reading →

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