Author Archives: nancyleek

“I went to R. Livermore’s, which is about 20 miles from Marsh’s, nearly W[est]; he has a Spanish wife and is surrounded by 5 or 6 Spanish families.” Robert Livermore was an Englishman; one of those sailors who jumped ship … Continue reading →

John Bidwell stayed at Marsh’s rancho, while fifteen of the company went to “the pueblo of St. Joseph” (San Jose) to look for work. Bidwell wanted to pump Marsh for more information about California and its resources, as well as … Continue reading →

On November 4th the Bidwell-Bartleson Party finally arrived at the home of Dr. John Marsh. Considering the glowing reports of California that Marsh had sent back east, Bidwell was surprised at the primitive conditions he was living in. He had … Continue reading →

The Bidwell-Bartleson Party was almost out of the hills. Yesterday they had finally spotted the Central Valley, and now knew that the mountains did not go on endlessly. They headed for the nearest timber (which indicated water) and reached a … Continue reading →

“It commenced raining about one o’clock this morning and continued till noon–threw away all our old clothes to lighten our packs, fearing the rain would make the mountains so slippery as to render it impossible to travel.” The Bidwell-Bartleson Party … Continue reading →

On October 24, 1841, John Bidwell and the rest of the Bidwell-Bartleson Party were still in the Sierras, and very lucky that the winter storms had not yet begun. John had left the rest of the company to hunt for … Continue reading →

Goldfields (Lasthenia californica) is a common California wildflower—you can see it all over over Table Mountain in the spring. For me the name combines two of my favorite things: California wildflowers and California history. I am lucky enough to live … Continue reading →