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.

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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A Pioneer Repast

Posted on December 2, 2019 by nancyleek

If you were living at Sutter’s Fort in 1845, before the Gold Rush, what was available for you to eat? Would you enjoy lots of good foodstuffs, or a limited diet? It could be both, depending on the time of … Continue reading →

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A Leader in Public Service in Butte County

Posted on November 23, 2019 by nancyleek

In a fascinating article in Diggin’s, the quarterly of the Butte County Historical Society, Nancy Brower tells the story of three pioneering women in local politics: Minnie Abrams, Mattie Lund, and Florence Danforth Boyle. She writes: Most people are startled … Continue reading →

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Our American Stories and Me

Posted on November 18, 2019 by nancyleek

I’m on the radio! And you can listen to me right here! You can hear me (and a couple of other people) talking about real pioneer woman Nancy Kelsey on Our American Stories. In addition to true stories from American … Continue reading →

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The First Newspapers in California

Posted on November 11, 2019 by nancyleek

On November 11, 1848, the last issue of the first newspaper to appear in California was published. The Californian had begun life in August 1846 under the editorship of Walter Colton and Robert Semple in Monterey. By the fall of … Continue reading →

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Chivalry vs. Tammany

Posted on November 10, 2019 by nancyleek

Gwin and Broderick Political power in California was in the hands the Democratic Party during the 1850s. Or at least, that’s the way it started out. The opposing party, the Whigs, were fading nationally, and in California, where the … Continue reading →

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David C. Broderick

Posted on November 8, 2019 by nancyleek

Continuing my series on 19th century California politics– William M. Gwin was not the only man to come to California with political ambitions. David C. Broderick, another Democrat, came for the same reasons. But Broderick was was a Democrat of … Continue reading →

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