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.

Nikolai and Conchita, continued

Posted on February 22, 2014 by nancyleek

Nikolai Rezanov must have looked pretty impressive in his dress uniform, with the diamond Order of St. Anne on his breast and a laced bicorne hat under his arm. He went out of his way to be charming and courteous, … Continue reading →

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Nikolai and Conchita

Posted on February 21, 2014 by nancyleek

In 1805-06 Nikolai Rezanov spent a miserable winter in the Russian outpost at Sitka. Life in the Russian colony was beyond wretched: the log cabins were cold and damp, the food stores were dwindling, the clothing was infested with vermin, … Continue reading →

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The Russian-American Company

Posted on February 8, 2014 by nancyleek

Nikolai Rezanov had a vision that went beyond helping his father-in-law corner the fur market in Siberia. To successfully expand the fur trade and make Russia the dominate force in the North Pacific, he would follow the example of British … Continue reading →

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

Posted on February 7, 2014 by nancyleek

With the Winter Olympics taking place in Sochi, Russia, now is a good time to look at the Russians in California. Although that’s not really my motivation; my inspiration comes from an excellent new book: Glorious Misadventures: Nikolai Rezanov and … Continue reading →

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John Bidwell, Ag Promoter

Posted on February 7, 2014 by nancyleek

A few paragraphs from an Address by Major John Bidwell to the California State Agricultural Society, 1860: There is no reason why we cannot supply ourselves with the thousands of barrels, boxes, hogsheads, and casks, of dried apples, peaches, nuts, … Continue reading →

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One Grand Fruit Orchard

Posted on February 2, 2014 by nancyleek

I think this state is to be largely a fruit garden. I don’t think it is to be used continuously for the production of grain. Of course we will always produce cereals, but the capabilities of California are in the … Continue reading →

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Come and Hear about Pres Longley

Posted on January 12, 2014 by nancyleek

The Annual Meeting of the Bidwell Mansion Association is coming up on Sunday January 26, and John Rudderow and I will be speaking on our book The Miner Poet: Poems of Pres Longley. There is a reception at 5:30 (cookies, … Continue reading →

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Planting Out Cherry Trees

Posted on January 6, 2014 by nancyleek

January is the time for planting bare root fruit trees, whether you are planting now or in the 19th century. Here are two entries from John Bidwell’s 1871 diary: Fri. January 6. Setting out cherry trees – Ramage & choir … Continue reading →

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The Fate of the Sutter Gun

Posted on January 5, 2014 by nancyleek

John Sutter’s little Russian 4-pounder wandered around a bit after the end of the Mexican War, from Monterey to Santa Barbara to San Francisco. When Captain Lippitt of the 7th New York Volunteers, in command of the garrison at Santa … Continue reading →

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The Adventures of the Sutter Gun, part 3

Posted on January 3, 2014 by nancyleek

It’s a little tricky to trace the movements of the Sutter Gun during the Mexican War in California. When John Sutter returned to his home on the American River after the Micheltorena incident, his Russian 4-pound bronze cannon was left … Continue reading →

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