Category Archives: Uncategorized

News from Rancho Chico 1850

Posted on March 13, 2020 by nancyleek

John Bidwell returned from the East Coast on October 16, 1850, accompanied by his brother Thomas, his old trail mate Amos Frye, and the Maidu boy, Rafael.  He must have gone as soon as possible to Rancho Chico to see … Continue reading →

Posted in rafael, Thomas Bidwell, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Brother to Brother

Posted on March 11, 2020 by nancyleek

John Bidwell spent the summer and fall of 1850 in New York City and Washington, D.C., waiting for Congress to pass the bill that would make California a state of the Union. Once that was accomplished, he took the statehood … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Don Roberto Livermore

Posted on March 4, 2020 by nancyleek

Robert Livermore, Englishman, runaway sailor, Mexican land grantee and early Californian, is buried in old Mission San José. The grave marker was found  when the wooden church that replaced the original adobe building (destroyed in an earthquake in 1868) was … Continue reading →

Posted in Robert Livermore, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A Visit to Mission San José

Posted on March 3, 2020 by nancyleek

Mission San José is not in San José. Probably a lot of you knew that. I knew that the old Spanish mission in San José is Mission Santa Clara, located on the grounds of Santa Clara University. And I knew … Continue reading →

Posted in Missions, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Leap Year Proposal

Posted on February 29, 2020 by nancyleek

Once upon a time, when the rules of courtship were strict, and a woman could only wait for a man to get a clue and propose marriage, tradition had it that during a leap year a woman could propose to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Hike to Iron Canyon

Posted on February 21, 2020 by nancyleek

I went with an OLLI group on a hike to Iron Canyon today. Not too strenuous, about the right length for me. The weather was perfect, warm with a slight breeze. I wouldn’t recommend this trail in the summertime — … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Few Last Items About the Crosbys

Posted on February 7, 2020 by nancyleek

Just a few last tidbits about Elisha O. Crosby and Maria Crosby, to wrap things up. Elisha O. Crosby married in Fremont, Nebraska in 1874 and his son was born there in 1875. After having lived in California and Guatemala, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha O. Crosby, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Crosby Puzzle Solved

Posted on February 4, 2020 by nancyleek

So why did Elisha Crosby have a daughter only 14 years younger than himself? Let’s go back to 1844, when Crosby was a young lawyer in Elmira, New York. Here is an excerpt from the Reports of Cases Argued and … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha O. Crosby, Mary Helen Crosby, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Crosby Puzzle Continued

Posted on February 3, 2020 by nancyleek

Mrs. and Miss Crosby came to California in October 1850 on the same ship that brought the news of statehood. They went to San Jose to be with Elisha O. Crosby, and within a few months Miss Mary Helen Crosby … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha O. Crosby, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

“Yours for Equal Justice”

Posted on January 19, 2020 by nancyleek

“Yours for Equal Justice” was Susan B. Anthony’s signature line, and this year it is the theme of the Bidwell Mansion Association’s Annual Meeting. Please join us next Sunday, Jan. 26 to celebrate women’s suffrage and to mark the 100th … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment