John Bidwell was a pioneer from Missouri in 1848 when he was involved in the famous gold discovery at Sutter's Mill in California. After striking it rich on his own, he set out to build a lavish three-story Italianate mansion, which was one of the grandest homes in the state outside of San Francisco.
While serving in the U.S. Congress, Bidwell met and married a Washington socialite named Annie Kennedy. Her refined style and urban tastes helped transform his 26-room bachelor pad into an elegant mansion.
The home boasts a spacious central hall featuring an eye-catching walnut staircase (figure A), a formal parlor highlighted by a Hazelton Brothers piano (figure B) and a library filled with the couple's collectibles.
Resources Roaring Camp: The Social World of the California Gold Rush
by Susan Lee Johnson (ISBN: ISBN: 0393320995)
W.W. Norton, 2001
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title.
Written by a history professor from the University of Colorado, this book explores the social and cultural forces that were unleashed during the California gold rush, when a massive influx of wealth seekers poured into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
W.W. Norton & Co.
Website:
www.wwnorton.com
Traveling California's Gold Rush Country
by Leslie A. Kelly (ISBN: 1560444843)
Falcon Publishing Company, 1997
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title.
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
525 Esplanade
Chico, CA 95926-3901
USA
Phone: 530-895-6144
URL:
www.norcal.parks.state.ca.us/bidwell_mansion.htm
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