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Biographical Notes
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John Bidwell
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Sutter had considerable authority under Mexican Governor Manuel Micheltorena to assist the settlement of foreigners in northern California. Bidwell helped Sutter in placing foreign settlers and in preparing the papers necessary for them to acquire Mexican title to the land on which they settled. His assistance to Peter Lassen in March 1843 was but the first of many such endeavors. (It was on the Lassen trip that Bidwell discovered and fell in love with the area around Chico Creek.) Also, from 1843 until the spring of 1845, Bidwell managed Sutter's extensive holdings at Hock Farm. Bidwell became a naturalized Mexican citizen and began acquiring his own land. In 1844 he took title to Rancho Ulpinos in the Sacramento Delta near present day Rio Vista. In 1845 he also acquired a five square-league grant in Colusa County. He did not develop either property and later sold them. During the same timeframe he also obtained a part interest in Edward Farwell's Rancho New Salem (which included lands along Chico Creek).
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In 1845 Juan Batista Alvarado, Jose Castro and Pio Pico led a coup against Governor Micheltorena. Sutter organized a large force of foreigners and Indians and went to the governor's assistance. Bidwell was a part of Sutter's force. On February 20, 1845, the two forces met in the Battle of Cahuenga. Alvardo's forces carried the day and Sutter and Bidwell were both captured. Both were pardoned and they both returned to Sutter's Fort on April 1, 1845. On December 10, 1845, Captain John C. Fremont arrived at Sutter's Fort requesting supplies and fresh mounts for his sixty man expedition. Sutter was absent and Bidwell was in charge. Bidwell and Fremont did not get along and Fremont left feeling that Bidwell had not been forthcoming enough in the assistance that he had provided. Fremont went on to anger the Mexican authorities in the Gavilan Incident before going on to Oregon.
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On Fremont's return to northern California in May 1846, many American settlers rallied to his camp at Sutter Buttes and the Bear Flag Revolt in Sonoma followed shortly thereafter. (Bidwell in his memoirs stated his conviction that Fremont had masterminded the entire affair.) Following the events in Sonoma, Vallejo and several other officials were taken to Sutter's Fort where Bidwell was ordered by Fremont to personally guard them. Fremont put Lieutenant Edward Kern in charge of the fort and several days later Kern relieved Bidwell of the responsibility of guarding the prisoners because he was too friendly with them. Bidwell went to Sonoma to join with the Bears only to find that Fremont was taking over command of the rebellion. At Fremont's request, Bidwell wrote the declaration that formally created the Bear's military organization. "The undersigned hereby agree to organize for the purpose of gaining and maintaining the independence of California."
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On July 12, 1846, the Bears marched to Monterey where it was learned that the United States was already at war with Mexico. The Bears and Fremont's expedition were combined and the California Battalion was formed under Fremont's command. Bidwell was included in the battalion and commissioned a second lieutenant. On August 13 the California Battalion participated in the capture of Los Angeles and shortly thereafter Bidwell was promoted to captain and appointed to be alcalde (mayor) of Mission San Luis Rey. At the end of September when Californios rebelled and forced American forces out of most of southern California Bidwell fled to San Diego where he took refuge aboard the American whaler Stonington. In mid-October he participated in the recapture of San Diego and Los Angeles serving as quatermaster "with the rank of major." In March 1847, after the end of hostilities, Bidwell returned to Sutter's Fort to once again take up his employment with John Sutter.
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It was a busy time for Bidwell. He laid out the proposed town of Sutterville on the Sacramento River and surveyed a road from Sutter's Fort to Sutter's new flour mill at Natomas. In August, Bidwell drew up the contract between John Sutter and James Marshall for the construction of a new saw mill on the South Fork of the American River near the Maidu Indian village of Coloma. In December, at Governor Richard Mason's request, he and Sutter conducted a census of Indians in northern California. That year he also built a small cabin for himself on Little Butte Creek in Rancho New Salem. On January 24, 1848, Marshall discovered what he believed to be gold at the Coloma mill site. When Marshall brought the first samples of his find to Sutter's Fort, Sutter invited Bidwell into the room to ask his opinion. He concurred with Marshall and Sutter that it was indeed gold and was subsequently sent to San Francisco to have it assayed with the understanding that the discovery had to be kept secret. Secrecy was not possible and word soon leaked out. The Gold Rush was on.
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John Bidwell began prospecting as early as April 1848, and made his big strike on the Middle Fork of the Feather River in July. Bidwell was able to work the claim thoroughly with a couple of partners and a team of Indian laborers before word leaked out of "Bidwell's Bar." He also opened a store at "Bidwell's Bar" in partnership with George McKinstry and operated it for the several years that the boom lasted. At its peak "Bidwell's Bar" was home to about 600 miners and was considered to be one of the richest placer strikes in the region. It became the first county seat for Butte County in 1850 and prospered until 1856 when the gold finally ran out. Bidwell moved on in 1849 after making an estimated $100,000. That same year he completed overseeing the construction of Sutter's lavish new home at Hock Farm and turned down Sutter's offer of his daughter in marriage..
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