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.

John Steele and Slavery in California

Posted on October 18, 2021 by nancyleek

In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 9 John Steele, young man from a small town in Wisconsin, enjoyed the diversity of people that he met in California. He encountered Mexicans and Chileans, native California Indians, Chinese, and … Continue reading →

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John Steele Meets Joaquin Murrieta

Posted on October 16, 2021 by nancyleek

In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 8 After vaccinating the Indian village near Coloma, John Steele left Downing’s Ravine to make a tour of the Southern Mines. He was always in search of information, and he wanted … Continue reading →

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Frontier Justice in Placerville

Posted on October 14, 2021 by nancyleek

In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 7 Steele met his share of desperadoes and lowlifes during his time in California. He tells of several men murdered in their tents for their gold. He worried about being a … Continue reading →

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A Tale of Vaccination

Posted on October 11, 2021 by nancyleek

In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 6 Early in the spring of 1852 John Steele left the diggings in northern California and set out to explore the coast region between San Francisco and Monterey. He met up … Continue reading →

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Reading “In Camp and Cabin”

Posted on October 9, 2021 by nancyleek

By the way, if you are enjoying these extracts from the account of John Steele, you can read it for yourself online. Free! The book is available at Google Play or at archive.org. Just search by title in the search … Continue reading →

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The Pledge of a Temperance Man

Posted on October 8, 2021 by nancyleek

In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 5 After leaving the mining camp of “Mr. Lawson” (Peter Lassen), John Steele and his buddy John Donnelley started back to Downieville by way of the American Ranch, where they knew … Continue reading →

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John Steele and Peter Lassen

Posted on October 6, 2021 by nancyleek

In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 4 On Saturday, February 1, 1851, John Steele and his friend John Donnelley left “Downie’s Diggings on Poorman’s Creek”, with the goal of hiking to Big Meadows to rejoin their company. … Continue reading →

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Death in Downieville

Posted on October 2, 2021 by nancyleek

In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 3. Leaving Nevada City in January 1851, John Steele and several other men headed over the snow-covered ridges, aiming for Big Meadows and the North Fork of the Feather River. They … Continue reading →

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In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — 2

Posted on September 30, 2021 by nancyleek

John Steele was a well-educated, Bible-reading, poetry-loving, and seemingly mild-mannered young man. But in the California goldfields a man had to be prepared for anything. Sometimes the answer to a problem was a pistol. Once he and his friends had … Continue reading →

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In Camp and Cabin with John Steele

Posted on September 28, 2021 by nancyleek

John Steele was eighteen years old when he caught a case of gold fever. He made the overland trek from Wisconsin to California in 1850. A diligent diarist, he kept a journal on the trail and during his three years … Continue reading →

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