By Mark McLaughlin
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“In 1846, Bidwell joined in the Bear Flag Revolt, which eventually escalated into the Mexican-American War. Bidwell was named quartermaster and later promoted to the rank of major.”
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In the mid 19th Century, California’s lure of a mild climate free of disease and vast pastoral ranchlands were powerful magnets for Americans with ambition and determination. From 1841 until 1848, men, women and children struggled overland with wagons, dreams and faith. Unlike the miners of the 1849 Gold Rush, they didn’t come to ravage the land and rivers in the hope of becoming rich in two years and then returning home. The settlers and families who arrived before the stampede of the Forty-Niners were real pioneers. They had come to stay, intent on building productive and permanent communities for themselves and others.
Manifest Destiny was a uniquely American concept that inspired a population to believe that it was their destiny to take over a swath of land already populated by indigenous peoples and partially owned by a sovereign nation (Mexico). It was a compelling notion, but due to the difficulties of travel in covered wagons in the rugged topography of the West, the overland migration to California began slowly.
The first pioneer wagon train to reach the future Golden State arrived in 1841 and there were only 34 of them. The journey was so challenging that no one tried it in 1842 and in 1843 only 38 more emigrants made it. Other than 1846 when nearly 1,500 settlers rolled into California, it would take the Gold Rush to inspire mass migration. They may have been relatively few in number in the early years, but there were some solid citizens among the early Argonauts.
One man who exemplifies the best qualities of these early Anglo settlers is John Bidwell. He was the leader of the famed Bidwell-Bartleson Party, a group of 34 plucky pioneers who survived a Sierra crossing in 1841 to become the first organized emigrant party to reach California. Their wagons had to be abandoned before reaching Northern California, but they set the stage for subsequent attempts that culminated with the opening of the trail over Donner Pass in 1844. The story of the Bidwell-led wagon train is a classic, but John Bidwell’s achievements after his arrival in California is worth a story of its own.
In 1841, John Bidwell was a 21-year-old schoolteacher with a drive for adventure. Despite a complete lack of trail experience, Bidwell helped lead the emigrants to the ranch of John Marsh near Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco Bay, without the loss of a single life. Marsh, who had sent letters back to the States extolling the virtues of pastoral California, welcomed the battered group of half-starved Americans who unexpectedly arrived at his ranch. It was lonely life for the reclusive Marsh, one of the first Anglo settlers in Upper California. His primitive little ranch consisted of a small adobe house, a corral and a few outbuildings, but Marsh welcomed the emaciated pioneers by ordering his Indian workers to slaughter a fat hog for a feast.
Marsh helped them acquire passports to legally stay in California. The American arrivals were not well received by suspicious Mexican officials, however, and ultimately the emigrants abandoned Marsh’s ranch for John Sutter’s Fort, a Swiss national with a reputation for generosity and jobs.
In the spring of 1842, Sutter sent Bidwell to Fort Ross, a Russian outpost located on Bodega Bay, north of San Francisco Bay. Sutter had purchased the log stockade from the Russians for about $30,000 a few years before and he hired Bidwell to oversee the dismantling and shipment of cannon, uniforms and military hardware to bolster a fort he wanted built on the Sacramento River. In October 1844, Bidwell became a naturalized Mexican citizen, the only legal way for an American to gain title to California land. As Don Juan Bidwell, he received a land grant near present-day Rio Vista, but he traded it for a lot in Yerba Buena (San Francisco).
In 1846, Bidwell joined in the Bear Flag Revolt, which eventually escalated into the Mexican-American War. Bidwell was named quartermaster and later promoted to the rank of major. In 1848, Bidwell and some companions were the first to find gold on the North Fork of the Feather River. A town known as Bidwell’s Bar popped up which later became the county seat of Butte County. Bidwell worked for two summers sluicing gold with the help of hired Indian labor. With his new wealth, be bought 28,000 acres of land known as Rancho Del Arroyo Chico, about 100 miles north of Sutter’s Fort. He built a ranch, stocked it with cattle, planted fruit trees and vineyards and sowed vast fields with wheat. He also pioneered the production of melons, olive oil, dried fruits and nuts and by 1853 had become one of the premier agriculturists in California
In 1860, Bidwell dedicated a large land tract to establish the town of Chico. He also donated thousands of dollars for churches, schools and parks. He helped organize Union forces during the Civil War for which he was promoted to brigadier general in the state militia. From then on he was known as General Bidwell.
In 1864, at the young age of 45, Bidwell was elected to Congress and he traveled to Washington, D.C. While there he fell in love with Annie Kennedy who was 21 years younger. Despite their age difference and the fact that Annie was a serious and devout religious girl who had no interest in marrying anyone, Bidwell was smitten. They were separated by 3,000 miles and more than two decades in age, but the congressman pursued her relentlessly. Annie’s strict belief in temperance influenced Bidwell to tear out all his acres of wine grapes upon his return to California.
Inspired by love, Bidwell threw all his energy into building an opulent mansion on his Chico ranch. His persistent ardor finally conquered her doubt and in the spring of 1868 the two were married. Their Washington wedding was the highlight of the social season, attended by President Andrew Johnson, General U.S. Grant, and many other national political leaders.
Over the years, the couple entertained lavishly and frequently, but alcohol was never served. Childless, they continued to donate land and money to schools throughout the region, including the land where California State University, Chico, is located today. Bidwell Park stretches along both sides of Chico Creek, a permanent and peaceful monument to the generosity of John Bidwell, a prince of pioneers.
Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlin is a nationally published author and professional speaker. His award-winning books are available at local stores or at thestormking.com. You may reach him at mark@thestormking.com. Check out his blog at tahoenuggets.com, or read more Sierra Stories at TheTahoeWeekly.com
Pioneer women talk
Mark McLaughlin will present a talk on “Exceptional Pioneer Women on the California Trail in the 1840s” on Sept. 22 at 3:30 p.m. as part of the Oregon-California Trails Association National Convention being held from Sept. 21 to 25 at Harvey’s Casino in Stateline, Nev. The conference theme is “A Bonanza of Trails: The California Emigrant Trail and Cutoffs” and the public is welcome to attend. Some events are ticketed. | octa-trails.org
