The Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park 525 The Esplanade Chico, California 95926 Phone (530)895-6144 Link to the California State Parks Mansion Page

BIDWELL MANSION was the home of General John Bidwell and his wife Annie Ellicott Kennedy Bidwell from the time of their marriage in 1868 until the end of their lives in 1900 and 1918 respectively. Construction of the 26-room mansion began in 1865, prior to John Bidwell's first introduction to his future bride, which occurred in the early part of 1865. The Bidwells were married April 16, 1868 in Washington, D.C. with then President Andrew Johnson and future President Ulysses S. Grant among the guests.

During their courtship and prior to their marriage the Bidwells together planned the furnishings of the Mansion as well as the finishing stages of construction. Henry W. Cleaveland was the architect of the $56,000 house. The most modern gas lighting, plumbing and water systems were installed, and every detail of hardware and handwork was meticulously finished. The overall style of the three-story brick structure was that of an Italian villa or country estate, an informal, warmly romantic style that was further heightened by covering the brick walls with pink-tinted plaster and painting the wood trim a complimentary brown tone.

The outside and inside walls were two thicknesses of brick with an air space in between. On the ground floor is a very spacious entry hall, a formal parlor, dining room, library and the General's office. The kitchen and laundry room were located in the rear.  Surrounded by a balcony over the wide first floor veranda, the second story contains six bedrooms, two bathrooms, servants' quarters, and a room equipped by Mrs. Bidwell in which she taught Indian girls to sew.

A ballroom and six additional guest rooms are located on the third floor, plus a private office for the General.  All of these rooms were filled with furniture of the Victorian era; dark, gleaming wood polished to a high degree, with many tables topped with marble. White lace curtains and wall-to-wall carpeting, together with marbleized slate fireplaces, completed the decor.

The Bidwells were firm advocates of western hospitality and the Mansion was used extensively for entertainment of friends and special guests. Some of the guests during the years were President and Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes, General William T. Sherman, Susan B. Anthony, Frances Willard, Governor Leland Stanford, John Muir, Asa Gray and Sir Joseph Hooker.

Under terms of her will Mrs. Bidwell left the Mansion and surrounding grounds to the College Board of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America for the establishment of a co-educational Christian school wherein the Bidwell ideals would continue to be taught to successive generations of students.  However, the church found it impossible to establish and carry on such a school, and in 1923 the property was acquired by the Chico State Teachers College (later Chico State University).

Additional Information and Related Links:

In 1964 the Department of Parks and Recreation, State of California, gained possession of the Mansion and five acres of grounds around the Mansion, designating it the Bidwell Mansion State Historical Monument, later changed to Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park. Go to California History find out How California Got Its Name for additional California information.

Built in America: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, 1933-Present
This American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress have a very thorough set of documents dealing with Chico's Bidwell Mansion. Included is avery well-documented set of drawings and historic information about the Bidwells and historic Chico. Tip: Go to the site, and search by Keyword on the terms: "Chico" and "Bidwell". A number of different resources will be displayed from which you may choose. Here is a direct link to their searcher.

The Bear Flag
Written by John Bidwell, witness to the historic events. This article in Overland monthly and Out West magazine tells how the rebellion against the Mexican governors of California took place. Published in May 1895.

"Life in California Before the Gold Discovery,"
Magazine article by John Bidwell, pioneer of 1841, leader of the first overland wagon train over the Sierras.

The Mechoopdas, or Rancho Chico Indians
Article published by Annie Bidwell in Overland monthly and Out West magazine, February, 1896.

Reminiscences of the Conquest
Another article by John Bidwell, giving his first-hand accounts about the events which brought California into the U.S. Published in Overland monthly and Out West magazine, December 1890. Based on his earlier notes made with the events freshly in mind.

"California as I Saw It": California's Early Years, 1849-1900
Offers full texts of 190 eyewitness accounts from the pioneering era of California. It captures the pioneer experience; encounters between Anglo-Americans and the diverse peoples who had preceded them; the transformation of the land by mining, ranching, agriculture, and urban development and California's emergence as both a state and a place of uniquely American dreams. Included are two texts by Chico's General John Bidwell.