Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

_ HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 109 fense of California against insurrection of the native chiefs Castro and Alvarado, in the revolt of 1844 and 1845, and acted as aid-de-camp to General Sutter till the war ended by the expulsion of the Mexican Governor Micheltorena. Near what was supposed to be closing scenes of the Mexican war in California, in the latter part of 1846, young Bidwell, then but twentyseven years of age, was appointed by General Fremunt as Magistrate of San Luis Rey district. In the year of 1849, at the age of thirty, he was chosen a member of the first constitutional convention of California at Sacramento, but owing to his absence in the mountains he did not reeeive notice in time and failed to attend. In the same year he was elected to the Senate of the first California Legislature. In 1850, Governor Burnett appointed General Bidwell and Judge Schoolcraft to convey a block of native gold-bearing quartz to Washington as Calitornia’s tribute to the Washington monument. In 1860 he was a delegate to the national Democratic convention at Charleston. Three years later he was appointed by Governor Stanford to command the Fifth Brigade, Calitornia militia, serving till the close of the civil war. In 1864 he was nominated and elected to the Thirty-ninth Congress. Two years later he might have had the renomination, but he had decided not to be a candidate and so declined. In 1875 he was nominated tor Governor of California on the anti-monopoly or non-partisan State ticket. He was a delegate to the antiChinese convention held in Sacramento in March, 1886. Besides these, he waa the recipient of many other honors equally as great. The following are General Bidwell’s political sentiments as expressed by himself: “ My politics are intensely Republican, :in the sense of that term as used to bring that party into existence 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 anti-:nonopolist in the truest nse of the term.”’ Personally, General Bidwell is tender, kind and benevolent to a fault, and a strict Presbyterian. By his benefactions he has acquired the sobriquet of « The Father of Chico.” Among his most noteworthy donations are a $10,000 site tor the North California Forestry Station, a $15,000 site for the Northern State Branch Normal School, and also valuable building sites for the different churches of Chico, the Presbyterian, the Roman Catholic, the Methodist Episcopal, the Methodist Episcopal South, and the African Methodist Episcopal, each of them receiving as much land as they asked for, often supplemented by liberal money donations. The Chico Flouring Mills, erected and carried on by General Bidwell, and one of the famous mills of the State, were the first water mills in the Sacramento Valley, being preceded only by Peter Lassen’s horse-mill. The General began also at an early day to set out his magnificent orchards. These now cover 1,500 acres of land and are being yearly added to. They are at once the oldest, the inost extensive and the most valuable in the State, some of the older trees being of gigantic size. His estate, the Rancho del Arroyo Chico, is one of the finest stretches ot Jand onthe continent. It is largely devoted to grain-raising, but. the portion adjacent tothe town of Chico is magnificently improved, the walks, drives and grounds surrounding his handsome residence being a worthy home domain. It is a pleasing combination of park, garden and orchard, the idea being to preserve so far as possible the wildness and the native growths. The wonderful old fig-tree betore the house should be especially noted. Banyan-like it has sent its branches downward to earth where they have again struck root. A space of nearly 300 square feet is shaded now—a curious and interesting freak of nature. We conclude this sketch of General Bidwell with a little incident that shows most clearly the high standard of morality and the conscientious determination for the right, which marks him at once as one of California's bravest and must worthy citizens. Some years ago he set