Category Archives: Uncategorized

John R. Widener was born into slavery in 1856 in Missouri. When he was only a few months old, the man who claimed ownership of Widener’s family sold his father and took his mother and the baby, along with another … Continue reading →

Happy Birthday to California pioneer and Chico founder John Bidwell! John Bidwell was born on August 5, 1819 in Chautauqua County, New York, near the shores of Lake Erie. He rarely noted his birthday in his daily diary, but in … Continue reading →

The citizens of Chico celebrated the 100th birthday of American independence, and every Independence Day, in grand style. Our celebrations of Independence Day are skimpy compared to the way they enjoyed the Fourth in Chico in the 19th century. On … Continue reading →

Does this photograph of John Bidwell look familiar? If you ever visited Bidwell Mansion, it might stir a memory in the back of your mind. The stance, the long black coat, the forthright gaze — isn’t that a lot like … Continue reading →

Pres Longley came down from Helltown and stayed at the Chico Hotel, perhaps paying his bar tab with the following poem: If you travel to Chico by stage or by rail,By buggy or horseback, you never should failTo stop at … Continue reading →

Philip A. Bell, born in New York City in 1808, came to California during the Civil War and in 1865 founded The Elevator, a San Francisco newspaper that covered events in the Black Community and advocated for Black suffrage and … Continue reading →

What Juneteenth is to black history today, the celebration of the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was to 19th century black Americans. The amendment prohibited the federal government or any state from denying or abridging a … Continue reading →

On the morning of April 4, 1900, John Bidwell set out to mark a new road along Big Chico Creek. Driving the wagon was William Conway, one of his oldest Mechoopda employees. Also in the wagon was Florence Blake, a … Continue reading →