Author Archives: nancyleek

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.

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 →

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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Adventures of the Sutter Gun (and John Bidwell too), Part 2

Posted on January 1, 2014 by nancyleek

John Sutter wasn’t the only American to get a grant of land from Governor Manuel Micheltorena. The governor also gave John Bidwell a land grant, his first, at a site in the Sacramento Delta called Ulpinos. Micheltorena knew very well … Continue reading →

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The Adventures of the Sutter Gun, Part 1

Posted on December 29, 2013 by nancyleek

A couple of years ago I wrote about the French Army muskets that ended up at Sutter’s Fort, after Johann August Sutter bought Fort Ross from the Russian-American Fur Company. Dismantling Fort Ross and sending every bit of useful equipment … Continue reading →

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Christmas Day, 1869

Posted on December 24, 2013 by nancyleek

From John Bidwell’s diary for 1869: Sat. December 25. Christmas – Rained last night with a furious wind – Boys & girls of the town invited and had a high old time – May you have just as good a … Continue reading →

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