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.

Nikolai and Conchita Separated

Posted on January 10, 2020 by nancyleek

Nikolai Rezanov left San Francisco Bay on May 11, 1806. By June 7 the Juno was back at Sitka, where he found the colony about to go under from a combination of starvation and the threat of an attack by … Continue reading →

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Nikolai and Conchita

Posted on January 9, 2020 by nancyleek

Nikolai Rezanov must have looked quite impressive in his dress uniform, with the diamond Order of St. Anne on his breast and a laced bicorne hat under his arm. He went out of his way to be charming and courteous, … Continue reading →

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A California Romance

Posted on January 7, 2020 by nancyleek

My visit to Fort Ross reminded me about a story I have told previously, one of the great love stories from California history: the romance of Nikolai and Conchita. Over the next few posts I will reprise this tale for … Continue reading →

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The Trees of Bidwell Park

Posted on January 7, 2020 by nancyleek

I went to ABC Books (on Mangrove Ave. in Chico) yesterday and bought a copy of The Trees of Bidwell Park, written by Roger J. Lederer and illustrated in color by Carol E. Burt. (I encourage you to buy local … Continue reading →

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When the Russians Left California

Posted on January 6, 2020 by nancyleek

In 1841 the Russian-American Fur Company decided to leave California. They sold their holdings — lock, stock, and barrel — to John Sutter. The contract was signed in December, 1841, not long after John Bidwell arrived at Sutter’s Fort. Sutter … Continue reading →

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A Trip to Fort Ross on the Penultimate Day of 2019

Posted on January 1, 2020 by nancyleek

Last Monday I took a trip up the California coast to Fort Ross with some family members. Our #2 son and his family live in the Midwest; his wife was born in Russia. They were in California visiting us for … Continue reading →

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Christmas with the Bidwells 2019

Posted on December 24, 2019 by nancyleek

The Bidwell Mansion Association celebrated “Christmas with the Bidwells” on December 6th with delicious holiday treats, live music, and a vignette inside Bidwell Mansion. In the vignette, Mrs. Swasey (LaShona Haskell), William Swasey (Mike Swann), John Bidwell (Nick Anderson) and … Continue reading →

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Pres Longley’s Christmas Column

Posted on December 23, 2019 by nancyleek

Pres Longley, the “Bard of Butte,” wrote many columns and poems for the newspapers. This column appeared in the Weekly Butte Record on December 26th, 1868. It’s lengthy, so I am just going to give you the beginning, and the … Continue reading →

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“A Pioneer Repast” and Its Author

Posted on December 15, 2019 by nancyleek

A couple weeks ago I told you about Christmas dinner at Sutter’s Fort in 1845 and its crowning finale, a genuine John Bull plum pudding. All the information for those two posts came from an article that appeared in the … Continue reading →

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A Real John Bull Plum Pudding

Posted on December 4, 2019 by nancyleek

The cook at Sutter’s Fort, an Englishman, promised he could produce a Christmas dinner “that would rival Delmonico’s best efforts.” (Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City being the epitome of fine dining.) He also promised to top off the whole … Continue reading →

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