Author Archives: nancyleek

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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.

Thomas Bidwell — The Rest of the Story

Posted on March 22, 2020 by nancyleek

Thomas Bidwell kept up his correspondence with his brother, John Bidwell, from St. John’s College through 1854. Some of the letters were written in Spanish, as an exercise in improving his language skills. He wasn’t quite sure what to do … Continue reading →

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Table Mountain 2020

Posted on March 20, 2020 by nancyleek

My daughter, granddaughter, and I made our annual pilgrimage to Table Mountain today to look at the wildflowers. We knew it wouldn’t be the best year for them — no rain in January and February made the display kind of … Continue reading →

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Thomas Bidwell and Amos Frye

Posted on March 19, 2020 by nancyleek

Thomas Bidwell, studying at St. John’s College in New York, says he wrote often to his brother John, but got few letters in return. Unfortunately, what few letters John Bidwell did write have been lost, so all the news we … Continue reading →

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Brother Tom Goes East

Posted on March 17, 2020 by nancyleek

Thomas Bidwell was only in California about six months. In the Spring of 1850 he decided that he wanted to return to college and resume his studies at St. John’s College in New York, now Fordham University. Here are two … Continue reading →

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Of Cattle and Mules and Potter and Cats!

Posted on March 15, 2020 by nancyleek

An “uncertain state of affairs” on Rancho Chico — the price of beef is low, old Mr. Potter is sick and near death, too many of the former employees were nothing but a “gang of loafers and idlers,” the cooking … Continue reading →

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Another Brother to Brother Letter

Posted on March 14, 2020 by nancyleek

Here is another letter from Thomas Bidwell to his brother. John Bidwell was still in San Francisco, recuperating from an illness. Thomas says he has been sick too — probably both of them suffered from malaria contracted while crossing the … Continue reading →

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News from Rancho Chico 1850

Posted on March 13, 2020 by nancyleek

John Bidwell returned from the East Coast on October 16, 1850, accompanied by his brother Thomas, his old trail mate Amos Frye, and the Maidu boy, Rafael.  He must have gone as soon as possible to Rancho Chico to see … Continue reading →

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Brother to Brother

Posted on March 11, 2020 by nancyleek

John Bidwell spent the summer and fall of 1850 in New York City and Washington, D.C., waiting for Congress to pass the bill that would make California a state of the Union. Once that was accomplished, he took the statehood … Continue reading →

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Don Roberto Livermore

Posted on March 4, 2020 by nancyleek

Robert Livermore, Englishman, runaway sailor, Mexican land grantee and early Californian, is buried in old Mission San José. The grave marker was found  when the wooden church that replaced the original adobe building (destroyed in an earthquake in 1868) was … Continue reading →

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A Visit to Mission San José

Posted on March 3, 2020 by nancyleek

Mission San José is not in San José. Probably a lot of you knew that. I knew that the old Spanish mission in San José is Mission Santa Clara, located on the grounds of Santa Clara University. And I knew … Continue reading →

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