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.

More Fun with Demographics

Posted on May 30, 2015 by nancyleek

In 1850, two years after John Bidwell discovered gold in the Feather River, the population of Butte County was 3574 (according to figures in Mansfield’s History of Butte County). Ten years later, the population had quadrupled to 12,106. 20% were … Continue reading →

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Fun with Demographics

Posted on May 26, 2015 by nancyleek

I have been looking at the 1860 Federal Census for Butte County. I accessed it at a website called fold3.com, a division of ancestry.com. Fold3 focuses on military records, but for some reason it is the only place I found … Continue reading →

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The Lemm Ranch Murders

Posted on May 21, 2015 by nancyleek

An attack on six Chinese workers on the Lemm Ranch shocked the citizens of Chico and brought infamy to the town. The Lemm Ranch was located near today’s intersection of Highway 32 and Forest Avenue. On the night of March … Continue reading →

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Chinese Workers Strike

Posted on May 19, 2015 by nancyleek

John Bidwell always had a need for workers — lots of workers, both skilled and unskilled. He had a diverse workforce — whites predominated, but he also had Indians, Mexicans and the occasional African-American.  Bidwell was willing to employ anyone … Continue reading →

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The Chinese in Chico

Posted on May 18, 2015 by nancyleek

The attitude toward the Chinese in California was one of ambivalence. Employers liked getting labor at low cost. Middle-class families that employed Chinese domestic servants could hardly do without them. And everyone in town turned out to watch the colorful … Continue reading →

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The Chinese in Butte County — and a Correction

Posted on May 15, 2015 by nancyleek

Correction:  In reading the census tables, I thought Butte County had the highest percentage of Chinese residents in the state, but that honor goes to Trinity County. Although small in population, Trinity County had the largest proportion of Chinese miners … Continue reading →

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Chinese-American History in Chico

Posted on May 11, 2015 by nancyleek

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is giving thematic tours on the Chinese in California during the month of May. If you are interested, check out the dates and times here.  I took the tour last Saturday and came away with … Continue reading →

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Miss Crosby’s Blue Umbrella

Posted on April 13, 2015 by nancyleek

On September 9, 1850, John Bidwell was present when President Millard Fillmore signed the bill, passed by the Senate and the House, that made California the 31st state of the Union. Bidwell had been in Washington since May, advancing the … Continue reading →

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A Little Map of Chico

Posted on March 31, 2015 by nancyleek

July 5th, 1867: You desire to know where is my home “in town or country?” I live not in but adjacent to the town of Chico — as follows: So wrote John to Annie after he returned from Washington to … Continue reading →

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California Diversity Goes a Long Way Back

Posted on March 29, 2015 by nancyleek

One more excerpt from John Bidwell’s letter to Miss E. Boyd: Here the sun’s rays come blistering down the deep and narrow gorge where seats together all the nations of the earth. . . . There’s nothing here to please … Continue reading →

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