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.

More Time Traveling to Chico

Posted on March 17, 2018 by nancyleek

The Pacific Rural Press’s issue for July 3, 1886, continues with a description of “the famous Rancho Chico.” John Bidwell was known throughout the state for introducing new plant varieties and for innovative agricultural methods. The reader will notice the … Continue reading →

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Time Traveling to Chico

Posted on March 15, 2018 by nancyleek

The article on Chico in the Pacific Rural Press, published July 3, 1886, continues with a  description of Chico’s financial and manufacturing capacity: Chico has two solid banks—the Bank of Butte County and the Bank of Chico. Both are located … Continue reading →

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Visiting the Garden City

Posted on March 13, 2018 by nancyleek

I’ve been browsing online issues of the Pacific Rural Press. Look at their masthead — isn’t that a delight? They don’t make them like that anymore. Note the locomotive in the loop of the P and the horse’s head in … Continue reading →

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A Blog for History Buffs

Posted on March 12, 2018 by nancyleek

If you like history (and you must since you are reading this blog), The History Blog is a great place to get your daily history fix. “Livius Drusus,” the editor of the blog, faithfully posts a history news item every … Continue reading →

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A Tour of Rancho Chico, Part 2

Posted on March 9, 2018 by nancyleek

Dow devoted not one, but two chapters of A Tour in America to General Bidwell’s Rancho Chico. His next chapter is about “A Fruit Orchard of 1000 Acres.” The 1000 acres of orchard and vineyard are not all in one … Continue reading →

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A Tour of Rancho Chico in 1883

Posted on March 6, 2018 by nancyleek

In 1883 Thomas Kirkland Dow, Australian journalist, set out to visit the United States and report on agricultural practices to the readers of his magazine, The Australasian. His book, A Tour in America, was published in Melbourne in 1884. After … Continue reading →

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Settling a Lawsuit with a Horse Race

Posted on March 5, 2018 by nancyleek

John Bidwell was not a gambling man. In Gold Rush California, where men would bet on just about anything, and where horse-racing was popular entertainment, Bidwell generally stayed away. But one time he found himself the participant in a horse … Continue reading →

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Romantic Cities of California

Posted on March 1, 2018 by nancyleek

I just came across this book today: Romantic Cities of California, by Hildegarde Hawthorne, with illustrations by E. H. Suydam, published in 1939 by D. Appleton-Century Co.  It is a tour of the towns and cities of California, all up and … Continue reading →

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Book of the Week!

Posted on February 28, 2018 by nancyleek

Yippee! The California State Library choose my book Nancy Kelsey Comes Over the Mountain as their book of the week! This absolutely makes my day. Here’s what they said in their Facebook post: Book of the Week: Looking for a … Continue reading →

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The Young Mountaineer

Posted on February 24, 2018 by nancyleek

Some time ago I wrote about Dr. James O’Brien after seeing his amputation kit at the Society of California Pioneers in San Francisco. That was in 2014, but I recently received a comment on that entry, from the doctor’s great-great-great-granddaughter. … Continue reading →

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