Author Archives: nancyleek

Not long ago a friend of mine asked me why John Bidwell did not name the town he founded after himself. He could name it anything he wanted. Why Chico? Why not Bidwellville, or Bidwellton, or Bidwell City? It used … Continue reading →

The last field trip for my OLLI Historic Homes group last Thursday was to my favorite Victorian home, Stansbury House in Chico. I love Bidwell Mansion too, but it’s too grand for me to actually imagine living there. But I … Continue reading →

There are lots of opportunities this holiday season to promote my new book, Nancy Kelsey Comes over the Mountain. Dan Barnett reviewed it in the Chico Enterprise-Record yesterday, Sunday December 3rd.  Here is what he says: This captivating book keeps … Continue reading →

My OLLI group has been visiting Historic Homes in Northern California, and today we visited Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park. OUr tour guide was Noel Lopez. Most of the group had visited it before, but some not for twenty or … Continue reading →

My new book, that is. Yesterday I received my shipment of 14 boxes of Nancy Kelsey Comes over the Mountain: The True Story of the First American Woman in California. Don’t you just love Steve Ferchaud’s artwork? This is the … Continue reading →

What was once a working ranch in Butte County, is now a museum dedicated to teaching history, science, and agriculture. Patrick Ranch Museum is located on 28 acres between Chico and Durham. Today my OLLI group toured the 1877 Glenwood … Continue reading →

Jim Silverman, whose fascination with California history led him to create a blog called This Week in California History, posted these two pictures on Facebook. I can’t resist sharing them. These two illustrations are from a children’s book published in … Continue reading →

We Californians tend to think that the American Civil War all happened back east, where the South rebelled and the North fought to maintain the Union. But California, a state since 1850, played a significant role in the War between … Continue reading →