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.

Slavery in California

Posted on June 29, 2021 by nancyleek

This well-known photograph shows a black miner in the California goldfields. It was taken at Auburn Ravine in 1852, but the man’s name is unknown. Was he free or was he enslaved? Did he strike it rich? Was the gold … Continue reading →

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A Cartoon Expedition to California

Posted on June 26, 2021 by nancyleek

Comic books have been around longer than you might think, and the California Gold Rush of 1849 proved to be a gold mine (so to speak) for satiric artists. One of the most entertaining is called Outline History of an … Continue reading →

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I Went to Hell and So Can You

Posted on June 22, 2021 by nancyleek

Bumpass Hell, that is, in Lassen National Volcanic Park. With grandchildren visiting from Wisconsin, and temperatures over 100 degrees in the valley, a trip to Hell turned out to be cooler than staying at home. The trail to Bumpass Hell … Continue reading →

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The Bear Flag and John Bidwell

Posted on June 14, 2021 by nancyleek

What did John Bidwell think of the Bear Flag Revolt and the famous Bear Flag raised at Sonoma? Not much, if you asked him, and more than one person did ask. I like our state flag — I think it’s … Continue reading →

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In Search of Alvin A. Coffey

Posted on June 10, 2021 by nancyleek

Today my friend Josie and I went in search of Alvin Coffey‘s presence in Tehama County. I am working on a picture book biography of Coffey, an African American pioneer, and I wanted to see where he lived and where … Continue reading →

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A Gold Rush Letter

Posted on June 6, 2021 by nancyleek

This random one-off letter from G.W. Lawson to Charles L. Hansicker is in the Sutter’s Fort Pioneer Collection at the California State Library, along with papers from John Bidwell, John Sutter, and George McKinstry. It’s a glimpse of the news … Continue reading →

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Saturday Night at the Mines

Posted on May 22, 2021 by nancyleek

A while back I wrote about one of my favorite paintings, Sunday Morning in the Mines, by Charles Christian Nahl. Here is a companion piece by the same artist, Saturday Night at the Mines. Who do we see in this … Continue reading →

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The First Wagon Train to California

Posted on May 19, 2021 by nancyleek

On this date one hundred and eighty years ago, the first emigrant wagon train to leave for California headed out on the Oregon Trail. Known today as the Bidwell-Bartleson Party, they teamed up with a group of Catholic missionaries and … Continue reading →

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Ten Years and a Thousand Posts

Posted on May 15, 2021 by nancyleek

I started this blog ten years ago to promote the book I wrote about John Bidwell, and to note any bits of Northern California history that caught my fancy. Now I have reached my one-thousandth post, and it’s time to … Continue reading →

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Jennie Carter on Equality

Posted on May 12, 2021 by nancyleek

Jennie Carter, African American journalist in California, had some strong words when it came to issues of civil rights and equality. Her “Letter from Nevada County” in The Elevator on September 25, 1868 comes down hard on Southern Democrats, including … Continue reading →

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