Having John and Annie’s house in the middle of town was a real gift that we lost.” John Bidwell founded the city of Chico in 1860. According to the Bidwell Mansion Association, Bidwell was one ...

THAT VICTORIAN HOME WAS BUILT IN 1868 BY GENERAL JOHN BIDWELL, CONSIDERED A PIONEER IN THE AREA. IT’S NOW OWNED BY THE STATE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS IN TALKS TO POTENTIALLY REBUILD THE LANDMARK.

Bidwell Mansion, the centerpiece of the state historic park, had survived more than a century as a memorial to California pioneers John and Annie Bidwell, who donated eight acres of their cherry ...