Category Archives: Uncategorized

News stories about Halloween from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Chico don’t mention anything about trick-or-treating. Instead it is all parties and pranks. The parties were put on by families and churches, and featured fall decorations (lots … Continue reading →

Back in March I wrote a series that I called “Murder at the Mansion,” the true story of the brutal murder of Billy Simpson, a Rancho Chico employee, for the gain of a few dollars. That story has now been … Continue reading →

I will be at Barnes & Noble in Chico this Saturday, October 11th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with piles of my biography of John Bidwell, ready to sell and sign and chat about books and history. I hope … Continue reading →

Huzza! Happy California Admission Day! It has been 175 years since California joined the United States as the 31st state. (If 50 years is a semi-centennial, what is 175? There are several to choose from, such as “dodransbicentennial,” but none … Continue reading →

Time for some shameless self-promotion. I have all kinds of events lined up for the Fall. I hope I see you at one or more of these. First up — the Bidwell Mansion Association Victorian Picnic at the Chico Cemetery. … Continue reading →

I borrowed the above photo from “Awesome People of Chico” on Facebook. I’m not sure where the original is, but it shows just what a rough-hewn town Chico was in the 1860s. The second house in Chico was built by … Continue reading →

In October 1860 John Bidwell acquired title to “Potter’s Half-League,” a portion of Rancho de Farwell situated on the south bank of Chico Creek. That same year he had finally had his title to Rancho Chico on the north side … Continue reading →

Yesterday I went to the California State Library in Sacramento to look at a variety of Rancho Chico ledgers. I had no idea that there were so many! I only wanted ledgers from 1865-1868 because I wanted to see if … Continue reading →