Author Archives: nancyleek

Delilah L. Beasley tells this story in her ground-breaking book The Negro Trail Blazers of California: Robert Anthony came with his master to Sacramento, California, in 1852, from St. Louis, Missouri, by ox team across the plains. Two years to … Continue reading →

In the great bachelor party that was Gold Rush California, women were scarce. Here’s a cartoon of the era that gives an idea of how rare and sought-after a pretty young lady could be. Do any of those men look … Continue reading →

Happy Birthday to President Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12, 1809. I remember when this day was a school holiday, but now it has been absorbed into Presidents’ Day. It’s still a good day to remember this great leader. John … Continue reading →

The Gold Rush brought men from all over the world to California. About 2000 of those men were black Americans — both enslaved and free. One group of African American miners banded together and called their mine the “Sweet Vengeance … Continue reading →

And wouldn’t I love to browse in that one. Something for everyone, including musical instruments, at the Pioneer Book Store on Montgomery Street in San Francisco. The image is from the “Robert B. Honeyman, Jr. Collection of Early Californian and … Continue reading →

We get a glimpse of Chico in the 1860s from a profile of John Bidwell published in the San Jose Mercury on April 7th, 1864. It was written by John C. McPherson, whom Bancroft described as “a Scotchman of good … Continue reading →

A cold, clear morning in January 1848. Jim Marshall goes out early to check the tailrace of the sawmill that he is building for John Sutter on the American River. The night before he had turned the water from the … Continue reading →

Looking for something completely different in John Bidwell’s diaries, I came across this notation for June 26, 1881: Events: Slept in tower to watch the comet The tower of Bidwell Mansion would be a great viewing platform for watching a … Continue reading →

Noodling around the Internet Archive and I found this, a collection of brief autobiographies of the members of the California legislature. The first legislature consisted of 36 Assemblymen and 16 Senators. They began their deliberations on Monday, December 17, 1849. … Continue reading →