Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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One of Those Strange Individuals

Posted on February 23, 2018 by nancyleek

John Bidwell told many fascinating stories about his life and experiences. Here is one about his friend and trail companion, James John, and an encounter with a grizzly bear in California. The grizzly bear was an hourly sight. In the … Continue reading →

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Runaway Horses in 1851

Posted on February 13, 2018 by nancyleek

I’ve been going through letters in the John Bidwell Papers in the California State Library. Bidwell was the kind of man who held on to all his correspondence, and kept it well organized. Most of the letters deal with mundane … Continue reading →

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More about Sutter and the Mormons

Posted on February 9, 2018 by nancyleek

At the same time that Captain Sutter was bragging to General Vallejo (in Spanish), about his wheat fields and his new saw mill and flour mill, he was also writing to Thomas O. Larkin (in slightly awkward English) on the … Continue reading →

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Sarah Pellet’s Philanthropic Scheme

Posted on January 31, 2018 by nancyleek

According to the Butte Record for December 23, 1854, Sarah Pellet had a brilliant plan for promoting temperance among the California miners. Five thousand young ladies! Miss Pellet certainly did not think small. The same item was also reported in … Continue reading →

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Sarah Pellet in the Mining Camps

Posted on January 29, 2018 by nancyleek

Sarah Pellet came to Bidwell Bar to lecture in the Fall of 1855. The Butte Record of November 3rd noted her plans for a tour of mining camps: Miss Pellett delivered a lecture at the Court House in Bidwell, on … Continue reading →

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A Sketch of California Life in the Waverley Magazine, 1856

Posted on January 27, 2018 by nancyleek

After reading the article on Chico in the Waverley Magazine, Nelson Blake wrote “I don’t understand it and await an explanation from you.” I don’t know if he ever got his explanation from John Bidwell, since Bidwell’s letters to Blake … Continue reading →

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Major Bidwell and the Lady Reporter

Posted on January 25, 2018 by nancyleek

Last Monday (Jan. 22) Nick Anderson and I presented our historical program to SIRs, Bidwell Branch 110, at the invitation of past “Big Sir” Keith Johnson. (SIRs is an organization for retired men who like to get together for a … Continue reading →

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Sarah Pellet in California

Posted on January 19, 2018 by nancyleek

In Gold Rush California, Miss Sarah Pellet was an item of interest, receiving considerable attention from the newspapers. The first notice of her arrival, in the Sacramento Daily Union of September 20, 1854, stated: Miss Sarah Pellet, a graduate of … Continue reading →

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Sarah Pellet, Lady Reformer

Posted on January 17, 2018 by nancyleek

I haven’t been able to find a picture of Sarah Pellet. I wish I had one to show you, because I wonder what she looked like. Newspaper reports sometimes refer to her as “fair” (as in “the fair lecturer”), but … Continue reading →

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