•1, ■•.;■; '■0, y. .... Book . ^5qB_. PKESENTED BY JOHN BIDWELL, PIONEER BY MARCUS BENJAMIN '■mS » £ JOHN BIDWELL, PIONEER A SKETCH OF HIS CAREER BY MARCUS BENJAMIN WASH INGTON 1907 .^5-^? 7. /f. LXAjU^O. y,^ Jil.^-^ FOREWORD The California pioneer has never had adequate justice done to him. Bret Harte has given to the world the romance of the early seekers after gold in mining camps with their picturesque environment, hut the sturdy pioneers, who, in the splendid majesty of their strength, gave their lives to the building of the State, too often, have gone to their graves neglected and, sometimes, even forgotten. The suggestion of the California State Association of the District of Columbia of doing homage to the memory of John Bidwell, one of the earliest, and perhaps the greatest, of the pioneers of California, was therefore welcomed as a special privilege. That the following sketch of General Bidwell's career, the facts of which have been kindly verified by Mrs. Bidwell, may receive the approval of its readers, is the sincere wish of the writer. M. B. JOHN BIDWELL, Pioneer A SKETCH OF HIS CAREER [Vestzuard the course of empire takes its way THE natural ambition of every true young American to achieve independence has demon- strated beyond peradventure the sentiment to which Dean Berkeley gave utterance nearly two centuries ago. The descendants of the Pilgrims and the Puritans crossed the Hudson into the fertile lands of what is now the great Empire State of the Union. From New York farther westward the sturdy pioneers took their way into Ohio and the valley of the Missis- sippi and thence, after the purchase of Louisiana, they passed over the Father of Waters, on and over great mountain ranges and cruel deserts, braving the elements and overcoming all obstacles, ever following the set- ting sun until that great orb sank beyond the Golden Gate into the blue waters of the Pacific. California, the land of sunshine and of flowers, where early Came the friars of ancient story. The padres have long since passed away but their blessed memories will ever remain While Mission grape and olive Still grow amid the wheat. Then as the Missions crumbled into ruins there 1 John Bidwell, Pioneer came the Argonauts of '49 in search of their El Dorado and California grew into Statehood. And so always settlers and frontiersmen in their ambition to attain independence have builded from the east to the west into a glorious nation a splendid succession of commonwealths that extend all the way from the shores of the Atlantic to the waters of the Pacific. John Bidwell was born in Chautauqua County, New York, on August 5, 1819, and was descended from native New England ancestry. His father, Abraham Bidwell, was a native of Connecticut and his mother, Clarissa Griggs, was born in Massachusetts. In 1829 his parents moved to Erie County, Pennsylvania, and two years later settled in Ashtabula County, Ohio, whence in 1834 they moved to Darke County in the same State. The educational advantages in Ohio were slight in those early days, but young Bidwell determined to obtain an education, and so, at the age of seventeen, he decided to enter Kingsville Academy in Ashtabula County, three hundred miles from his home in Darke County. The journey had to be made on foot, and his brother has told how, on the morning before he started from home, the snow lay fourteen inches deep on the ground, but neither the snow, nor weeping relatives, nor yet the long and lonely journey could swerve him from his purpose of securing an education. How well he succeeded may be determined from the fact that at the youthful age of eighteen he was John Bidwell, Pioneer elected principal of Kingsville Academy, although much younger than any of his competitors. In 1838, he returned to the home of his parents where he spent the winter teaching, and then, at the age of nineteen, went out to seek a fortune in the far West, single-handed and without means, but firm in the belief that the God of his forefathers would pro- tect and care for him. Of his experiences he has left an excellent account from which much that follows is taken. He writes: "In the Spring of 1839 I conceived a desire to see the great prairies of the West, especially those in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Starting on foot to Cincinnati, ninety miles distant, I fortunately got a chance to ride most of the way on a wagon loaded with farm produce. My outfit consisted of about seventy-five dollars, the clothes I wore, and a few others in a knapsack which I carried strapped upon my shoulders. Though travel- ing was considered dangerous, I had no weapon more formidable than a pocket-knife. " From Cincinnati I went down the Ohio River by steamboat to the Mississippi, up the Mississippi to St. Louis, and thence to BurUngton in what was then the Territory of Iowa." Here he consulted Robert Lucas, who was Governor of the Territory, and on his advice concluded to go into the interior and select a tract of land on the Iowa River, but finding the location an unhealthy one he decided "to move on and strike out to the south and southwest into Missouri." John Bidwell, Pioneer He reached Platte County in June, 1839, where, he says : " On my arrival my means being all spent, I was obliged to accept the first thing that offered and began teaching in the county about five miles from the town of Weston, which was on the north side of the Missouri River and about four miles above Fort Leavenworth in Kansas Territory." But having in mind the desire to become a farmer, he writes that : " By the favor of certain men and by paying a small amount for a little piece of fence here and a small clearing there, I got a claim and proposed to make it my home." During the following summer the weather was very hot and as he could do but little work on his farm, during vacation he went to St. Louis in order to procure some clothes, books, and other necessary supplies, returning some six weeks later. This trip proved to be the turning point in his life, for while he was gone a man whom he had permitted to build a cabin on the claim "jumped" his land. The law required not only a certain residence, but that the preemptor should be of legal age or a man of family, and as Bidwell was neither of these he could not take his case into court, and therefore he resolved to go elsewhere with the coming of spring. Meanwhile he continued to teach. During the win- ter, however, he met a Frenchman named Roubidoux, who said he had been in California. This enthusiast described the country as " one of perennial spring and boundless fertility, and laid stress on the countless thousands of wild horses and cattle", mentioning also John Bidwell, Pioneer the wonderful fruit, especially the oranges that abounded there. Bidwell determined that if possible he would see that wonderful land. When one is young, what odds, even though The road is through dolor and dread, over crags and morasses ; There are shapes by the way, there are things that appal or entice us : What odds? A number of his neighbors agreed to accompany him, accordingly "a pledge was drawn up in which every signer agreed to purchase a suitable outfit and to rendezvous at Sapling Grove in what is now the State of Kansas on the ninth of the following May, armed and equipped to cross the Rocky Mountains to Cali- fornia. We called ourselves The Western Emigration Society, and as soon as the pledge was drawn up every one who agreed to come signed his name to it and it took like wildfire ". During the winter the agitation continued and in all some live hundred persons agreed to join the expedition, but as the spring came the enthusiasm waned, so that on leaving Weston there were only six or seven in the party, although " nearly half the town ", he writes, "followed us for a mile and some five or six miles to bid us goodbye, showing the deep interest felt in our journey". Later, however, others joined them until the party consisted of sixty-nine persons, including men, women, and children. As this was the first party organized to cross the Rocky Mountains on their way to Cahfornia, it is of John Bidwell, Pioneer sufficient importance to describe their journey some- what in detail. A leader was chosen from among their number, but as he knew nothing of the route by which they should proceed, it seemed best to wail for a party of missionaries, among whom was Father De Smet, who, under the care of an experienced guide, were on their way to the Flathead Indian Mission, then located in northern Idaho. In a general way, starting from near Westport, where Kansas City now is, the route was in a northwesterly direction over the prairies and crossed several streams until the Platte River was reached. Then the lower bank of that river and its South Fork were successively followed and after cross- ing the latter, the North Fork, until Ash Hollow was reached and thence they continued along the North Fork to Fort Laramie, then a trading post of the American Fur Company. From here they proceeded along the waters of the North Platte and its branches, the Sweetwater, the Little Sandy, and the Big Sandy, finally reaching the Green River. The Rocky Mount- ains were crossed at the South Pass over the divide between the Green and Bear rivers. The Bear River was then followed to Soda Springs at its northermost bend where they parted company with the missionaries, who turned northward, while the party bound for California continued along Bear River until they came in sight of Great Salt Lake, around the north end of which they passed in September. The four months of constant exposure to the ele- ments had naturally tended to lessen the ardor of many John Bidwell, Pioneer of the party, one-half of whom preferred to go with Father De Smet and decided to reach the coast down the Snake and Cohimbia rivers rather than attempt to journey without guide over the unknown and track- less desert towards California, but among these the stout-hearted Bidwell was not. The days were hot and the nights were cold, and as they journeyed west- ward from Salt Lake great difficulty was experienced in finding water that was suitable for drinking, and then provisions began to grow scarce. Soon came days and nights when no water at all could be had, and the mountains were still far away. Finally a camp was made where there was plenty of grass and an abundant supply of water, and here it was decided to abandon the wagons, for it was feared that otherwise California would not be reached before winter came on. Accordingly everything that could be dispensed with was thrown away, and again west- ward the party started with their oxen, mules, and horses laden with supplies. To the inexperienced, however, the art of packing animals is not an easy one and the packs have a way of becoming detached, so that it was not very long before the " horses became scared, mules kicked, oxen jumped and bellowed, and articles were scattered in all directions". But this was not all, for frequently the animals strayed away and on one occasion it became necessary for Bidwell to retrace his steps in search of some missing oxen. These he found lying down in tall grass near the trail, and after traveling all night he reached the place where the John Bidwell, Pioneer camp had been made only to find that the party had gone on. For a day and a night he was alone in the desert, where death from starvation was possible and even probable, and perhaps worse, savage Indians were not uncommon, from whom no mercy could be expected if he should fall into their hands. Fortunately two of his companions who were unwilling to abandon him, turned back in search of him and before long, in consequence of their efforts, he rejoined the party. Many difficulties were yet to be overcome, but as all obstacles yield to persistence, these yielded to the indomitable will of Bidwell and his associates, and in time they reached the Humboldt River. Still west- ward they continued and then southward, crossing the Humboldt Mountains and finally arriving at Walker River at the eastern base of the Sierras. This range they crossed on the north side of the Walker River and on the west they came out at the headwaters of the Stanislaus River, which stream they then followed. The last ox was killed as they passed over the mountains and they became dependent upon such game as they could obtain, even eating the despised coyote. While following an Indian trail down the mountains, Bidwell while in search of game for food again became separated from the party and at dark he came to "an enormous fallen tree and tried to go around the top, but the place was too brushy, so I went around the butt, which seemed to me to be about twenty or twenty-five feet above my head". This he subsequently identified as one of the fallen trees in the John Bidwell, Pioneer Calaveras Grove of Big Trees, and therefore to him is justly due the honor of having been the first white man who ever saw the Sequoia gigantea or mammoth trees of California. On the night follow- ing, after an ab- sence of thirty-six hours, he overtook the party while in camp. California had been reached, but they did not know it, and it was far from being a promised land. There was yet a range of mount- ains to the west — the Coast Range — that loomed up before the ex- hausted wanderers and they paused, wondering if they still had strength enough to cross them. Their troubles were a1mn ('Hl':l',lv, U\MI[' John Bidwell, Pioneer 13 they organized a revolt against the Mexican Governor." Sutter, accompanied by Bidwell, went to Monterey, then the capital of the Province, in order to confer with Micheltorena about land grants, and at San Jose, on the way, learned of the proposed uprising. On arriv- ing at Monterey they informed Micheltorena of the intentions of the conspirators. In the rnean while the first blow was struck by the insurgents who successfully stampeded all of the cavalry horses of the Mexicans, thus making pursuit impossible. Sutter, availing him- self of a convenient sailing vessel, proceeded to San Francisco and thence up the Sacramento River to Sutter's Fort, while Bidwell remained in Monterey for several weeks longer during which time the Governor organized his infantry so as to march against the enemy. Bidwell then returned overland to Sacramento, spend- ing a night in San Jose where he was entertained by Castro and Alvarado, who sought to gain his friendship and support. However, it was unanimously agreed among the Americans, who were rapidly assembling at Sutter's Fort, to organize and march to Monterey, which they did during December, 1844, Micheltorena meeting them in Salinas Valley where it was determined to pursue the insurgents to Los Angeles. On Febru- ary 22, 1845, the opposing forces met and gave battle at Cahuenga, twelve miles north of Los Angeles. Micheltorena was compelled to capitulate and leave the country. Sutter and Bidwell were made prisoners and taken to Los Angeles, but were soon released when thev returned on horseback to Sutter's Fort. 14 John Bidwell, Pioneer In the autumn of 1845, John C. Fremont arrived in California at the head of his third expedition sent to explore the Great Basin and the maritime region of Oregon and California, reaching Sutter's Fort by the Truckee route. He spent the winter in the San Joaquin Valley and early in the spring started south with his party, but being ordered to leave the country by the Mexican authorities he turned north and passed up the Sacramento Valley into Oregon. A few weeks later Fremont returned and camped on the American River. In June, 1846, he seized a band of horses intended for General Castro's use. This action was so Fac-simile in Bidwell's Handwriting of tur Bear Flag Platform •suggestive to the minds of resident Americans that a party was organized that proceeded to Sonoma and seized a number of prominent Californians, including General Vallejo, and raised what has since been known as the " Bear Flag". On the fourth of July following, a committee consisting of John Bidwell, P. B. Reading and W. B. Ide, was appointed to report a plan of organization. Bid well's plan was adopted, which pro- vided that " the undersigned agree to organize and to remain in service as long as necessary for the purpose of gaining and maintaining the independence of Cali- fornia". General Vallejo was placed in confinement in John Bidwell, Pioneer 15 Sutter's Fort and was for a time under the personal charge of Bidwell. Three companies of troops, known as the California Battalion, were formed and these, after receiving the news on the tenth of July that war had been declared between the United States and Mexico and that Captain J. D. Sloat had taken possession of Monterey, raised the American flag at Sutter's Fort the next morning, and led by Fremont, marched south to Monterey where they arrived on July 19. Plans were immedi- ately made for the conquest of the province and the California Battalion was more definitely organized with Fremont as lieutenant-colonel commanding, and in which Bidwell received a commission as second lieu- tenant. Of fighting there was none, for as Bidwell says: " We simply marched all over California from Sonoma to San Diego and raised the American flag without opposition or protest. We tried to find an. enemy but could not". Fremont was made Governor of California, and in August, 1846, sent Bidwell to take charge of the Mission of San Luis Rey with commission as Alcalde or Magistrate over the larger portion of the country between Los Angeles and San Diego. His occupancy of this judicial appointment was of short duration, for in about a month the Californians south of Monterey revolted against the Americans, in consequence, it is said, of " the intolerant and exasperating administration of affairs" by Lieutenant A. H. GiUespie, U. S. A., in Los Angeles, and Bidwell fled from San Luis Rey to 16 John Bidwell, Pioneer San Diego. A reorganization of the American forces was effected under Commodore Stockton in San Diego, and Bidwell was made quartermaster with the rank of major. In December the little army fought the battles of San Gabriel and the Mesa, with which " Flores Revolt", as the insurrection was termed, came to an end. From that time on California has been under the sovereign authority of the United States. Early in 1847, the battalion was disbanded and the volunteers returned to their homes. Bidwell made his way by land to Sutter's Fort and relates how he " had eleven horses which I swam, one at a time, across the Straits of Carquinez at Benecia". For a time he con- tinued as manager of Sutter's business and also acted as surveyor of all the Mexican land grants made by Micheltorena three years previous, having in the mean- time taken up his residence on a portion of the Farwell grant, in which he had acquired an interest, about three miles from the present city of Chico. In 1849, he purchased the splendid domain of Rancho Chico which William Dickey had obtained in 1844, by a grant from the Mexican authorities. This mag- nificent estate consisted of some twenty-two thousand acres, which was increased by subsequent purchases to twenty-five thousand acres of fertile land, interspersed with grand oaks through which might be seen entranc- ing vistas and perspectives. The ranch extended from the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, a distance of fifteen miles to the Sacramento River, along which it had a frontage of four miles and within its limits there are John Bidwell, Pioneer 17 some of the most fertile and beautiful valley lands in the world. Six miles of foothill land carries the east- ern boundary of the estate to an elevation of one thou- sand to fifteen hundred feet above the valley. This was his happy home for the remaining years of his life. Toward that place of all the blest, Old home, the haven of sweet rest. Of his connection with the discovery of gold it is of importance to make some mention. Early in 1844, while at Hock Farm, a Mexican, Pablo Gutierrez by name, told him of the existence of gold in the Sierras, but he delayed exploring the territory described until a more opportune time. A year later he determined to visit the deposits but he could find " no time that busy year to carry out my purpose." Finally, in July, 1846, he was able to examine the locality on Bear River where gold was said to have been found. He records 18 John Bidwell, Pioneer that it was one of the hottest days he had ever experi- enced. No place looked favorable for a gold discovery. He even attempted to descend into a deep gorge through which meandered a small stream, but was confronted with dense thicket, a typical lair for grizzly bears. Having no weapon but a pocket knife he con- sidered it hazardous to enter the thicket and for that rea- son, together with the intense heat, he gave it up, and yet later that particular gulch was described as " one of the richest placers that had ever been found in this country ". In 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold in the race of the sawmill that he had buUt for Sutter, but it was Bidwell who carried the news of the discovery to San Francisco. "Time does not permit me to relate", he writes, " how the same year I discovered gold on Feather River and worked it; how I made the first weights and scales to weigh the first gold for Sam Brannan; how the richness of the mines became known to the Mormons who were employed by Sutter to work at the sawmill, working about on Sundays and finding it in the crevices along the stream; and how Brannan kept the gold a secret as long as he could, till the excite- ment burst out all at once like wildfire ". Three years earlier an intelligent Spaniard to whom some of the red cinnabar found near San Jose was shown, quickly recognized it as a valuable ore of mer- cury from which by heat the metal could readily be extracted, and which proved so necessary in separating the gold from its crushed ore. Concerning this he John Bidwell, Pioneer 19 says: " The discovery of quicksilver at this time seemed providential in view of its absolute necessity to supple- ment the imminent discovery of gold, which stirred and waked into new life the industries of the world." His opinion on the great importance of the discovery of gold is also worthy of quot- ing: "He says it is a question whether the United States could have stood the shock of the great rebellion of 1861 had the Cali- fornia gold discov- ery not been made. Bankers and business men of New York in 1864, did not hesi- tate to admit that but for the gold of California which monthly poured its five or six milhons into that financial center, the bottom would have dropped out of everything. These timely arrivals so strengthened the nerves of trade and stimulated business as to enable the Govern- ment to sell its bonds at a time when its credit was its life blood, and the main reliance by which to feed, clothe, and maintain its armies. Once our bonds went down to thirty-eight cents on the dollar. California gold averted a total collapse, and enabled a preserved 20 John Bidwell, Pioneer Union to come forth from the great conflict with only four billions of debt instead of a hundred billions. The hand of Providence so plainly seen in the discov- ery of gold is no less manifest in the time chosen for its accomplishment." His parents and their parents before them had been farmers and so an inherited fondness for the cultivation of the earth led him to abandon his mining pursuits and to settle on Rancho Chico. Here he hoped to spend the remainder of his days in developing the splendid products of the wonderfully fertile soil of California, but the stern fates willed otherwise. "The years immediately following the gold discovery were pregnant with vitality and development, both financial and political, and in most of these events he was an active participant." In 1849, he was chosen a member of the first Constitutional Convention that met in Monterey, then the capital, but not being at home, the notification failed to reach him in time to enable him to be present. He was elected in the same year, from the Sacramento District, to the first Senate and participated in framing the laws under which California assumed the dignities of Statehood. A year, later he was appointed by Governor Burnett, one of the Commissioners to convey to Washington City a block of gold-bearing quartz, as California's contribution to the Washington Monument. In 1854, he was one of the vice-presidents of the State Democratic Convention that met in Sacra- mento, and he affiliated with the Anti-Broderick fac- tion. He was also a Vice-President of the Democratic John Bidwkll, Pioneer 21 State Convention that met in Sacramento in February, 1860, and was chosen by that body a delegate to the National Convention that met in Charleston, South Carolina, and he voted with the Union Democrats for the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas for President. But Chico was his heart's desire. " He was a passion- ate lover of nature in all its varied forms. As early as 1847 he planted fruit trees and vines on his ranch, not hesitating to mount his horse and ride to the Mission of San Luis Rey and return, a distance of more than twelve hundred miles, in order to procure them." His was the first water-power flour mill in that section of the State; and his was the first dairy, butter previously being brought by the sea. He began the cultivation of wheat and other grains with his first year's ranching. He tested the virtue and adaptability, through long vears of experiment, of every kind and variety of cereal obtainable and freely gave to the public the benefit of his experience. These experiments were frequently made at great financial cost, but he was ever ready to do his utmost for the public welfare, whether in experi- menting with grains or testing new agricultural machin- ery, even when others refused the undertaking. It was not only the practical, but also the beautiful, that he cultivated, and early in the sixties rarest roses, as well as lilies, flowering shrubs, and trees, some of which he imported direct from China and Japan, were growing in such abundance in his gardens that visitors were allowed to carry away with them baskets full of blossoms of the only cultivated flowers in that section 22 John Bidwell, Pioneer of the State. He also built hot-houses for the propa- gation of the more delicate varieties of plants, and for many years he had the largest fruit-tree nursery in California, which was so favorably known for its purity of stock as to be patronized by residents in all parts of the State. Captain John Mullan, of the United States Army, who went overland from Walla Walla to San Francisco in 1862, described a visit to Chico in the following words: At Tehama we cross the Sacramento and, in a few miles, enter upon one of the most choice agricultural districts the eye ever rested upon — where grain fields are not measured by the acre, nor yet by the mile, but by the league. By a day's drive we pass through the exten- sive and rich fields of Major Bidwell, where eleven thousand acres of grain were being thrashed — where his own mill stood ready to convert into flour the produce of his own fields; where his own mammoth store furnished hundreds of his employees with all the wants of life; where his own energy was opening, with his own means, a wagon road from the Sacramento River to the Humboldt mines; and where his own purse has already paid out $35,000, and backed by a willingness to pay as much more, in order to open up a new market for the exu- berant products of so rich a soil as he himself possesses. The center of his large estate is the beautiful village of " Chico", where, in rural wealth as well as in rural simplicity, live an educated and contented peasantry, all more or less supported by the means of this bachelor millionaire — whose residence, on the banks of the Sacramento, is one of those architectural gems hid away amidst shrubs, trees, orchards, and groves, as if to avoid the gaze of him whose residence is of crowded cities and who is almost unworthy to breathe the sweet perfume of a region where such bowers grow. May Major Bidwell long live — though bachelor he be — to dispense his bounties to a people who respect him for the liberal and generous manner in which he shares his wealth with those not similarly blest. John Bidwell, Pionekr 23 With the making of his home in Chico naturally came the development of various kinds of commercial enterprises, and although many of the special features of this vast estate have been referred to, it is desirable to describe them in more detail. In 1847, Bidwell planted the first fruit trees and vines in the vicinity and a few years later he had orchards of peach, apple, fig, and other fruits, including grapes, and among the first raisins ever made in California were those produced by him. In the days when wheat was king it was claimed that there were no better wheat fields in the 24 John Bidwell, Pioneer State, and for the grinding of this cereal into flour he built in 1853 his first flour mill. In an account pub- lished in 1888, it is said that of the seven thousand acres then under cultivation, about fifteen hundred were used for orchard and vineyard purposes, twelve hundred of which were of trees in full bearing; about one hundred acres were used for the nursery and vege- table garden, while the remainder of the cultivated land was devoted to the raising of wheat and barley, with the exception, however, of one hundred acres which was given over to such products as sorghum, sugar cane, and maize. The remainder of the ranch was used exclusively for timber and pasturage pur- poses, seven hundred and fifty acres of the latter being devoted to alfalfa. No less than twenty subdivisions or ranches of this splendid estate were recognized and on each of these a separate industry was organized. These subdivisions were as follows : Vineyard Place ; Williams Place, fruit orchards; Sulam Place, young orchard ; Upper Dump Place,vineyard and orchard; Sheep Ranch; Manzanita Ranch, grain; East Field Ranch, grain and orchard; Dairy Ranch; Drake Ranch, grain and fruit; Bee Ranch, apiary; Nursery; Adobe Ranch, grain and alfalfa; River Ranch, stock, hay, and pasture; Hennery, fowls; Turkey Ranch, turkeys; Mill, flour, and feed; Cannery and Packing House; Vinegar Factory; Meat Market; and the Mansion Grounds, including flower gardens, deer park, fruit orchards, and ornamental grounds. John Bidwell, Pioneer 25 The following list includes many of the products grown on the ranch: Cereals, such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, alfalfa, Indian corn, Egyptian corn, broom corn, sorghum; vegetables, such as Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, peas, lettuce, artichokes, beets, cabbages, melons, pumpkins, and squashes ; fruits, such as apples, crab-apples, pears, cherries, plums, prunes, peaches, apricots, nectarines, quinces, figs, olives, loquats, pomegranates, mulberries; together with many varieties of small fruits and berries such as gooseberries, currants, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, from twenty to thirty tons of the latter having been 26 John Bidwell, Pioneer harvested in a single season ; and nuts, such as almonds, chestnuts, pecans, butternuts, walnuts, and filberts. In the orchards there were, at the time of General Bidwell's death, 115,590 fruit and nut trees, including 56,000 peach, 26,160 plum and prune, 10,900 almond, 7,500 apricot, 5,650 pear, 2,900 cherry, 2,819 apple, 2,750 olive, 336 nectarine, 250 walnut, 200 quince, 200 orange, and 125 chestnut trees. The grape vines in 1890 occupied two hundred acres and com- prised 76,645 vines distributed among the follow- ing varieties: 57,215 Muscat; 5,110 Rose of Peru; 4,650 Flame Tokay; 2,150 Blue Tokav; 1,350 Malaga; 1,320 Sultana; 1,310 Black Hamburg; 1,020 Emperor ; 650 Sweetwater ; 590 Damascus ; 200 Black Morocco, and 80 Cornichon. For the preparation of the fruit for the market there were in 1888 three packing houses, including one for raisins, and three dry houses, aU equipped espe- cially for the preservation of raisins, but used for all kinds of fruits. The shipments were chiefly to local points, although at times consignments were sent as far East as Chicago and six car loads of fruit were on one occasion sent to Eastern dealers. The fruit was pre- served in what was recognized as "one of the most perfect and complete canning establishments in the State", having a capacity from eight to ten thousand cans daily. In one year seventy-five thousand cans of apricots — the entire pack — was sold in advance to the Chicago market. Over three hundred and fifty thou- sand cans of preserved fruit was not an unusual out- John Bidwell, Pioneer 27 put for a single season. Some years before General Bidwell's death, however, the fruit-cannery was dis- continued, as was also the shipment of green fruit to the East. All fruits raised on the Ranch were either dried or sold to the local canneries. At this period a full crop of fruit in the orchards meant about 5,000,000 pounds of peaches, 3,000,000 pounds of green or 1,500,000 pounds of dried prunes, 1,000,000 pounds of apricots, 600,000 pounds of cherries, 600,000 pounds 28 John Bidwell, Pioneer of pears, 300,000 pounds of almonds, and lesser quanti- ties of other fruits. From this same source of information it appears that five hundred head of cattle and from five hundred to a thousand horses, as well as six thousand sheep and about fifteen hundred hogs were raised and cared for on the Ranch. The Meat Market, which was the retail branch of this portion of the Ranch, supplied the local demands of Chico and vicinity. One hundred and fifty cows, mostly of the finest high-grade Durham stock, furnished the Dairy with milk and butter in quantity sufficient for all residents in the neighbor- hood. The average yield of grain was twenty-five bushels to the acre, and the annual yield of the ranch was upward of one hundred thousand bushels of wheat and forty thousand bushels of barley, much of which was converted into flour at the Chico Roller Flouring Mills, which had a capacity of two hundred barrels every twenty-four hours. The principal products of the mill were the Extra Family and Golden Era brands of flour; and choice Graham flour and corn meal were also produced. In connection with the mill was a bar- ley crusher, where large quantities of barley were crushed and shipped. General Bidwell was the first white man to explore and one of the first to settle in Butte County, and the remarkable business development of his wonderful estate as shown in the foregoing account took place in the last half of the Nineteenth Century. It remains only to add that the average number of persons John Bidwell Pioneer 29 employed was one hundred and fifty, although during the harvest and fruit seasons this number frequently rose to seven or eight hundred. The payroll amounted Cup awarded by the California State Agricultural Society TO John BinwELL in 1863, for Bk'^t (Jrain Farm to $100,000 a year, and the volume of business done in all departments during the same period of time reached the large sum of $750,000. 30 John Bidwell, Pioneer He was one of the chief contributors, as well as an exhibitor, at the State and District Fairs in California, and his addresses on subjects pertaining to agriculture were highly esteemed. Many of these were printed as official documents and when consulted show that he was a pioneer in thoughts which now prevail among the most scientific and practical agriculturists. Gold medals were awarded him at Expositions held in New Orleans and elsewhere for his incomparable display of grains, and again at the World's Fair held in Paris in 1878 he was given a gold medal for the best wheat on exhibition there. From 1849 to 1860 all of the improvements in Chico and its vicinity were confined to the buildings erected by General Bidwell, but his many employes and their fami- lies soon constituted a settlement by themselves which grew into the municipality of Chico. The site for the city was selected by him, and at one time all the lots were owned by him. He was the first postmaster of the town, and presented to the city the Plaza, the lot occupied by the City Hall, and the lots occupied by five of the churches. In addition, he donated eight acres of the choicest land in Chico, valued at $15,000, for a site for the State Normal School in 1888, and when it was proposed to establish a Forestry Station in 1893 in northern California, General Bidwell promptly offered to the State thirty-seven acres of exceedingly rich alluvial land near Chico Creek, said to be worth $5,000, which was accepted. When he laid out the town he presented the ground for wide streets and i;i<\( i.i: IVvrn. E--i'i.as.\iii:, Kwhm idi John Bidwell, Pioneer 31 tracts of land for public parks, on which he planted shade trees from his own nurseries. To the public always he gladly and freely extended the use of his magnificent grounds and drives, all of which were improved by him at great cost and labor. As the city grew the wisdom of its founder became more and more apparent, and the beauty of its appointments gained for it the name of "City of Roses", and its grateful citizens proudly hailed their benefactor as "The Father of Chico". Meanwhile his fellow citizens in California, recog- nizing his many splendid qualities, had demanded and received their share of his services. In 1861, he was a candidate before the Union-Democrat convention for the gubernatorial nomination, but was defeated by John Conness. Two years later he was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Union State Convention that nominated F. F. Low for Governor, and was chosen as a member of the State Central Committee. In 1864, he was sent as a Delegate-at-Large to the convention that met in Baltimore and nominated Abraham Lin- coln for the presidency, and in September he received the Union nomination for Congress from the Third District. He was elected by a majority of nearly four thousand votes and served as a member of the Thirty- ninth Congress. At the expiration of his term he was offered a re-nomination, but declined the honor. In 1863, he was appointed by Governor Stanford Briga- dier-General of the Fifth Brigade of the California State Militia. Again, in 1867, he was a candidate before the 32 John Bidwell, Pioneer Union Convention for the office of Governor, but was defeated by George C. Gorham by a vote of 148 against 132. The nomination of Gorham not being accept- able to many of the RepubHcans, Bidwell was chosen as the " representative of the respectable people of the State", but on being notified of this action he declined, claiming " that it was the duty of good citizens to stand by the principles enunciated at the convention, and subserve pubUc interests by pledging members of the Legislature to the enactment of honest laws". While in Washington it was General Bidwell's good fortune to meet Miss Annie Kennedy, the eldest daughter of Honorable Joseph C. G. Kennedy, who was appointed by President Fillmore as Superintendent of the Census of 1850, and by President Buchanan Su- perintendent of the Census of 1860, and finding her to be the " noblest type of womanhood " he souglit her hand and they married in 1868. From this time until his death — thirty-two years later — this "noble, industrious, unassuming, and estimable woman" was the mainstay of her husband's existence. Her kindly and sympa- thetic nature showed itself most conspicuously by the many ways in which she aided him in his widespread philanthropy. Thus far in this sketch no mention has been made of his home and perhaps wisely, for as no home is perfect without the influence of woman, so it was not until Mrs. Bidwell became the chatelaine of the estate that the home of General Bidwell attained its greatest influ- ence. It is not necessary to describe his early home in John Bidwell, Pioneer 33 Chico, nor to more than mention the log houses he built in 1847 and 1849, as well as the historic adobe dwelling that he built in 1852, but it is of interest to briefly allude to the residence familiarly known as the "Mansion", that was begun in 1865 and completed three years later, for it was to this home that he brought his bride. It occupies a site near the center of the Ranch on Chico Creek and is adjacent to the city. Surrounded by 150 acres of orchard and ornamental grounds, with gardens, conservatory, deer park, choice fruit trees, and flowering shrubs, the beauty and charm of this home could not be surpassed. As has been 34 John Bidwell, Pioneer well said there was " nothing wanting in intelligence, science, refinement, good taste, or money" to make it attractive. Within its doors gracious hospitality was always its most characteristic feature, and to enjoy its bounties came welcome guests from far and near, among whom may be mentioned eminent celebrities such as President and Mrs. Hayes and General Sher- man, famous scientists such as Sir Joseph Hooker and Asa Gray, as well as distinguished CaUfornians such as Joseph LeConte, John Muir, and David Starr Jordan. Here in sympathetic companionship with her who was his best friend, he developed those plans that had for their chief purpose the improvement of his estate, or studied how best he might accomplish the ameliora- tion of those who were his neighbors and especially the native Indians of the vicinity. And thus the years came and went all too quickly, for after all There is no place like home; A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there, Which seek through the world is ne'er met with elsewhere, Home, Home, Sweet, Sweet, Home ! Very close to a man's home life is his religious life. It is not pertinent, however, to more than lift the edge of the veil of that which was most sacred to him. His life showed him to be a " devoted Christian, striving to induce others to lead a similar life. He was a true neighbor, loving his neighbor as himself". It was said of him at the time of his death by District Attor- ney Sproul: "John Bidwell was ever a good man, always a pure man, from first to last a man of high John Biuvvell, Pioneer 35 ideals, aiming and hoping for something better, striv- ing for the best." His church affihations were with the Presbyterians and in the early history of Chico when the members of that denomination wanted to erect a suitable church building, subscriptions were soHcted by the trustees and the sum of $2,500 was raised. When completed the edifice cost $16,000 and of that amount General Bidwell contributed all except the sum subscribed, thus giving $13,500, besides the lot on which the church stands. It is said that in response to a request for informa- tion concerning his political beliefs, General Bidwell 36 John Bidwell, Pioneer replied: "My politics are intensely Republican, in the sense of that term as used to bring that party into exist- ence, and in its mission to preserve the Union, but I am more than a Republican, I am a Prohibitionist, a Native American, and Anti-Chinese in the sense of wholesome restriction of all foreign immigration, and an Anti-monopolist in the truest sense of the term". This deUberate expression of his opinions may be in part explained in view of the following experiences: In the autumn of 1872, delegates from a number of farmers' clubs met in Sacramento to take action to promote agricultural and industrial interests of the State and to resist the aggression of the corporations. General Bidwell was called to preside over this meet- ing. Three years later he was nominated by a party composed of this same element, in conjunction with other Anti-monopolists, under the name of the Peo- ple's Independent Party, for the Governorship of Cali- fornia, with Roumaldo Pacheco for Lieutenant-Gov- ernor and was supported by some of the most eminent men of the State, among whom were Newton Booth, Henry Edgerton, Morris M. Estee, Creed Raymond, and John F. Swift. Shortly afterwards he was also tendered a similar nom- ination by the Temperance Reform Party. The latter he declined, saying : " I stand upon the People's Inde- pendent platform. I believe firmly in temperance, but will accept no further nomination". In the election that ensued he received 29,752 votes as against 61,509 for the Democratic candidate and 31,322 for the John Bidwell, Pioneer Republican candidate. In 1886, General Bidwell was a delej^ate to the State Anti-Chinese convention, in which he took an active part and in which he opposed all extreme measures calculated to do injustice to the rights of resident Chinese. ^■it0Mm^ A SixoLE Wild Grape Vine, Rancho Chico A Californian, distinguished for legal abihty, devo- tion to the welfare of his State, and a loyal Republi- can, has thus written of him: General Bidwell was essentially a Republican in politics, although long estranged from the party. There was no honor within the gift of this people which his real and true merit would not have brought him 38 John Bidwell, Pioneer had he allowed himself to consult expediency rather than principle in his personal relations to the party. His devotion to principle and his honesty of purpose; his private life of stainless purity, and his noble example as a devotee to the highest ideals of religion and morality, as well as to the cause of temperance, became household words in many thousand of American homes. Notwithstanding the fact that in 1875 he declined the gubernatorial nomination proffered him by the Temperance Reform Party, already mentioned, he was nevertheless a strong and fearless advocate of temper- ance. He considered the liquor traffic to be the bane of society, the curse of mankind, and a menace to the stability of this country. In April, 1888, he was chair- man of the Prohibition State Convention that met in San Francisco, and was selected as a delegate to the National Convention ; also receiving a nomination as Presidential elector on the Prohibition ticket. In 1890, he again presided over the Prohibition Convention that was held in San Francisco and received the nomi- nation for Governor on that occasion, but although polling the full strength of his party, received only 10,073 votes. He was a delegate to the National Prohibition Con- vention that met in Cincinnati in 1892 and received from that body its nomination for the Presidency of the United States. In his letter of acceptance he referred to the liquor traffic as " a danger to public health ; the prolific source of untold political corruption, crimes, diseases, degradation, and death ; a public nuisance and a public immorality ; in a word, it is an unmiti- John Bidwfxl, Pioneer 39 gated and measureless evil without a redeeming fea- ture. Every consideration of justice, the public wel- fare, protection to labor and to all other interests, public and private, all cry out against this enemy." Among other declarations were the following: "The money of the country shall consist of gold, silver, and paper" to be "issued by the Government only;" "combination to lock up capital with the view to raise the rate of interest, or reduce the price of labor or commodities should be made illegal, and, as far as possible, impossi- ble." " Changes in our tariff system should of course be made in the light of all interests and our commer- cial relations with other nations." " Reciprocity can but enlarge and make most flourishing commercial relations." "An income tax can do no injustice, work no oppression." " Other governments have owned and run railroads — America can surely do as much — and even more." " We have already quite enough of imported nihilism, anarchism, and pauperism." " Ban- ish the saloon, restrict immigration, and relief will fol- low." "No denominational or sectarian differences should be permitted to enter the American public school house." " Control all monopolies in the interest of all the people." And " Enthrone woman with the ballot." In the canvass that followed charges were made in the opposition papers that General Bidwell had at one time stood second on the list of large wine and brandy makers in the State and an intimation was conveyed that he was still indirectly engaged in the business. 40 John Bidwell, Pioneer This was answered by the statement that, more than twenty-five years before, he had set out a vine- yard of about ten acres of wine grapes, it being at that time the general impression, as well as his own, that the use of light wine to the exclusion of strong alcoholic liquors would be promotive of temperance. During his absence from California while in Congress the manufacture of wine was carried on at Rancho Chico, but on his return, finding men coming from the winery with unsteady steps, he at once closed it, dug up the wine grapes, and gave all the wine for me- dicinal purposes to a hospital in San Francisco, "refus- ing to contribute directly or indirectly to the woes and wickedness of the drink curse." The value of the liquor trade in the United States in the year 1892 amounted to nearly one billion of dollars, but the people were not yet ready to free themselves of the shackles of that terrible incubus. Such at least was their testimony at the poUs on election, although General Bidwell received 264,133 votes, being a larger popular expres- sion by the people in favor of temperance than at any previous or subsequent election. One of his friends has written : "General Bidwell was not a man to follow any political party blindly. No man and no party could silence his conscience or control his judgment; he was master of both and held himself responsible only to his God for the results to flow from his conclusions and actions ; " and " The latter years of his life were given to the promotion of the cause of temperance. John Bidwell, Pioneer 41 which he elevated to the dignity of a national political issue. His extreme radicalism was here manifest, for he would stop at no point short of the impracticable and unattainable vantage ground of absolute prohibi- tion. He regarded all efforts to restrain the liquor traffic, such as high license, to be compacts with wickedness and a concession that the traffic must be «,*' ...^ .^-fc General Bidwelj. Distributing Goods to the Indians in 185- tolerated if not encouraged. He carried his views to the point of demanding amendments to the National Constitution in order that complete and final extirpa- tion of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors should be accomplished in all States of the Union through Congressional action." A worthy feature in the character of General Bid- well was his respect for the rights of and his personal 42 John Bidwell, Pioneer regard for the Indians, and especially was this mani- fested by his wise and loving care of those whom he had found in naked savagery on Rancho Chico when he became its possessor. Recognizing that the advent in their midst of the white man thrust upon them unusual perils, he removed them from their exposed position to one in his private grounds, where he could better protect them. He taught the men agriculture and employed the women as gatherers of seed-wheat, garden seeds, of small fruits, and as repairers of sacks in his flour mill. Men and women received employment in his orchards. He gave them land on which to build homes, and then erected for them the little church, where for many years Mrs. Bidwell every Sunday morning has conducted, and still conducts, devotional exercises, leading the Indians in prayer, preaching a sermon, and singing hymns with them, for in no way has Mrs. Bidwell shown her sympathetic nature to a greater degree than by the way in which she aided her husband in protecting and civilizing these unfortunate Wards of the Nation. General Bidwell found the Indians "as wild as a deer and wholly unclad," and he left them in happy homes with their own gardens, fruit trees, and flowers, a number of the older ones fairly educated and the children bright pupils in the public schools, some even in the Chico Normal School. Had the United States Government followed a similar policy forty years ago the Indian question would have been easily settled. "A Century of Dishonor" would never have been written % \i \l. \\\< Mi:-, i; 1 i>\\ i I.I.. I \ I'l-.u Mil- I'Al.M-. John Bidwell, Pioneer 43 as a well-merited rebuke on the National treatment of those who preceded us in the occupancy of this coun- try. Recognizing their fondness for music he aided them to organize a band, and it has been said : "Because General Bidwell was a good citizen he made it possible for a choir, composed of Indians, to sing in tones almost divine at his grave, strong men weeping as they heard the pathetic refrain." General Bidwell was a public-spirited man and in addition to the many facts already enumerated that so abundantly testify to the truth of this statement, may be mentioned the following: In the early sixties, when the Steam Navigation Company became oppressive to the people, he gave what relief he could by building a steamer and running it on the Sacramento River from Sacramento to Red Bluff. Later, when it became necessary to secure $100,000 as a subsidy to build a railroad from Colusa to Chico, he subscribed $10,000, one-tenth of the amount to be raised by the two towns and between, and this at a time when it had been " a hard year " with him. Through no fault of his the project was never consummated. In 1887, the California Legislature authorized the establishment of a State Normal School north of Marysville, and a Com- mission appointed by the Governor was charged vi'ith the selection of a site. It was soon evident that the choice lay between Red Bluff and Chico, and it was believed that the proffer of a suitable location would influence the Commission. General Bidwell was in the East and an appeal was 44 John Bidwell, Pioneer wired to him and promptly came the answer : "Any place on Rancho Chico is at your disposal except my door yard." This was enough and the Northern Branch State Normal School was established in Chico. When a market was needed for the products of the Sacramento Valley, such was his confidence in the future prosperity of this Valley that he built a wagon road over the untraversed Sierras from Chico to Pratt- ville, a distance of sixty-four miles, at a personal expense of $50,000, himself blazing the way. The last three summers of his life were spent in improving the grades of this magnificent scenic road, camping along its route with a force of men, partly provided by the counties of Butte and Plumas and partly by himself. The surveys were made by him and the road from the first was donated to the public, General Bidwell never having accepted any income from it. His love for his fellow citizens was "shown by kindly acts which number in the thousands and glitter out like bright stars upon the firmament." Mrs. Bidwell tells us that he especially "loved botany and astronomy and was passionately fond of surveying. He brought his Burritt's Astronomy and Celestial Atlas across the plains in 1841, though all else had to be discarded. The General tried to supply himself with instruments to take his bearings by astro- nomical observation, but he was unable to obtain them. His knowledge of surveying and mathematics was of great value to him in both official and private Ufe. Whatever he read he studied. He usually spent an John Bidwell, Pioneer 45 hour or two at night and from four to six o'clock in the morning in study. He generally carried a book in his pocket to read at odd times. His constant custom was to commit to memory the sayings of the wise and good." '^'*% .. Oenebal Bidwell on his Mule Linda. Takkn in 1893 Nor was his interest in the natural sciences less. " He could call at sight the scientific names of almost all of the California trees, shrubs, and flowering plants that came under his observation and study." The Board of Education of Chico, subsequent to his death, spread upon its record the following beautiful tribute to his memory : 46 John Bidwell, Pioneer "General Bidwell loved the world and all she gave of good ; the trees, the flowers, and vines spoke for him a language that filled his soul with happiness, and springtime zephyrs, the angry winter winds, the rushing water in its ceaseless journey to the seas, and every voice of Nature was to him a song, finding responsive echo in his heart." He was an early member of the Society of Califor- nia Pioneers, his name appearing among the first in the chronological list of its members, and in 1854 he was a vice-president of that organization. The Old Settlers' Association honored him and themselves by choosing him as their President. Not only was he one of the early regents of the University of California, but that University conferred upon him in 1865 the honorary degree of Master of Arts. The first name on the roll of its six thousand graduates is that of John Bidwell. From the beginning until a short time before his death he was one of the Board of Trustees of the State Nor- mal School. My short and happy day is done ; The long and lonely night comes on, And at my door the pale horse stands To carry me to unknown lands. On the morning of April 4, 1900, General Bidwell appeared to be in his usual health and went with a number of men to that part of his ranch where he was clearing some timber. It became necessary to cut a fallen tree, as a result of which an attack of heart failure suddenly and temporarily overcame him. He John Bidwell, Pioneer 47 was driven to liis home and for a time rallied, but another attack came on and he quietly and calmly passed away, at about half-past two o'clock in the after- noon. Without warning — and he needed none — the end came and he was with his God. And at my door the pale horse stands To bear me forth to unknown lands. The announcement of the death of Chico's fore- most citizen was recei\'ed with deep sorrow by his fel- low citizens. Bells from the churches tolled the solemn news, emblems of mourning were soon raised in the business portion of the city, and messages of sympathy and condolence from friends and neighbors were sent to comfort her whose loss was the greatest. On Wednesday, a week later, on the southeast verandah of his beautiful home, surrounded by tiowers from those who loved him, they brought all that was mortal of General Bidwell, and there, amid the sacred hush of mourning, he received the formal expression of farewell. The services began with the reading of verses from the Bible by the Reverend W. G. White, of the Pres- byterian Church: "He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he Live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." The solemn strains of the hymn "Nearer, My God, to Thee," foUowed, tenderly rendered by a choir of Indians. The Reverend Samuel H. Willey, chaplain of the first Leg- islature of California, offered an appropriate prayer, 48 John Bidwell, Pioneer and then "For God and Native Land," a favorite hymn of General Bidwell's, w^as sung by a number of students from the Normal School. A brief address was made by Mr. Willey, who sketched the career of his lifelong friend, and concluded his remarks with these words : " He will be honored for generations to come, for his name is connected with noble deeds. His name will be coupled with the State, and we rejoice that there was such a man and he was here." Mr. Henry French, of San Jose, then spoke at some length, praising him for his battles for the right, chiefly those in the cause of temperance. " Mourn Not," a duet of males voices, followed, and then his pastor, the Rever- end W. G. White, delivered a sympathetic address, taking as his theme the career of General Bidwell and urging his hearers, especially the younger ones, to fol- low it as a model. A benediction brought the service to a close. The funeral procession was then formed. To the stately music of an impressive funeral march, over a roadway lovingly strewn with flowers by the children of the public schools. General Bidwell made his last journey. As active pall-bearers were four of his faith- ful employees and four of the Rancho Chico Indians, three of whom were unclad savages when he first came into possession of Rancho Chico. The honor- ary pall-bearers were representatives from the County officials; the Bench and Bar of the State; the Califor- nia Pioneers; the State University; and the Chico State Normal School. At the cemetery the services were John Bidwell, Pioneer 49 simple. A choir of Indian voices sang sweetly " Good Night", and the Benediction was pronounced. Now to the earth let these remains In hope committed be; Until the body, changed, attains Blessed immortality. Last of all came little Indian children, who, with solemn air, each one on tiptoe, advanced to the grave and placed there a bunch of wild flowers, which they themselves had gathered, and then withdrew 50 John Bidwell, Pioneer with their faces all the while reverently turned towards the grave. And so to his eternal rest was carried Cali- fornia's most honored pioneer. Memorial services were held in the State Normal School on April 29, 1900, when addresses were made by President C. C. Van Liew, Richard White, W. J. Cos- tar, Professor M. L. Seymour, and the Reverend W. G. White. Also similar exercises were held on May 7, under the auspices of the officers of Butte County, over which Judge John C. Gray presided and a eulogy prepared by the Honorable A. F. Jones was read by Mr. Carleton Gray and eloquent tributes to General Bidwell were delivered by Jo D. Sproul, District Attor- ney, and Colonel H. T. Batchelder. Resolutions and tributes to the memory of General Bidwell were adopted by many organizations, both local and national, all testifying to the worthy charac- ter of the deceased. Of all these none was more beautiful than the following minute from the Board of Education of Chico : His life work was to learn all that was good; to teach and edu- cate; to uplift and ennoble humanity. He was the foe of ignorance and vice ; the friend and patron of enlightenment. When from his bounty he gave his choice gifts for the advancement of education and morality, this he did not as a charity, but in the line of his high ideal of citizenship and patriotic duty, as sacred trusts for high and lofty ends. Of none could it be better said : " His life was gentle and the ele- ments so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world, This is a man.' " The Board of Trustees of the City of Chico resolved that "as a perpetual monument to the memory of John Bidwell, Pioneer 51 General John Bidwell, we recommend that the seal of this city be changed from its present form and design by inserting his portrait in the center thereof, together with his name, and making his name and portrait a part thereof, that thereby hereafter every official act of this city bearing its common seal shall be a reminder to us of our late departed founder and distinguished neighbor and friend". In honor of the memory of General Bidwell, nine- teen hundred acres of the most desirable land along Chico Creek, comprising Oak Forest where stands the stately oak named in honor of Sir Joseph Hooker, Iron Canyon, and other beauty spots were, in July, 1905, conveyed to the municipality by Mrs. Bidwell, thus insuring to the posterity of the community in perpetuity what has been described as "one of the grandest of CaHfornia's natural parks, and the most magnificent natural park owned by any city in this State, if not in the United States". This splendid gift was accepted by the authorities of Chico, and in honor of its donors received the name of Bidwell Park. In September, 1905, a block of granite, bearing the inscription "General John Bidwell, the Pioneer States- man of California", was inserted in the base of the monument erected in Monterey in honor of Commo- dore John Drake Sloat, of the United States Navy, who raised the American flag and took formal possession of California, on July 7, 1846. This was done by the authorities of Chico in response to an invitation received from the Sloat Monument Association to con- 52 John Bidwell, Pioneer tribute a stone to his memory bearing the above inscription. George Eliot once wrote : So to live is heaven ; To make undying music in the world, Breathing as beauteous order that controls With growing sway the growing life of man. These lines, it seems to me, apply with special force to John BidweU, Pioneer. GOLn Ml£l)AL AWAKDED TO GENKBAL BiDAVKLL AT THE Paris Exposition in 1878. V6 0-'*