Events announcement
Due to the devastating December 2024 fire at Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, both the park and the Visitor Center remain closed.
During this closure, we will be collaborating with local historical organizations, such as the Stansbury House, Chico History Museum, and the Chico Heritage Association, to host events and maintain community engagement.
Please be sure to check back often—we will be posting updates as they come in. Or go to our BMA Facebook page for more fun and interesting posts. And don't forget to visit the Bidwell Mansion SHP Facebook page for some of their exciting posts about the Mansion.
As always, thank you for your support!
During this closure, we will be collaborating with local historical organizations, such as the Stansbury House, Chico History Museum, and the Chico Heritage Association, to host events and maintain community engagement.
Please be sure to check back often—we will be posting updates as they come in. Or go to our BMA Facebook page for more fun and interesting posts. And don't forget to visit the Bidwell Mansion SHP Facebook page for some of their exciting posts about the Mansion.
As always, thank you for your support!
2026–2027
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Bidwell Mansion Association Annual Members Meeting
Saturday, January 24 | 6 p.m. | Gateway Science Museum (625 Esplanade, Chico—next door to the Bidwell Mansion Visitor Center) We hope you’ll join us for the Annual Members Meeting of the Bidwell Mansion Association—an evening to reconnect, share what we’ve accomplished, and look ahead to the work still to come.
6 p.m. – BMA Members Business Meeting
6:30 p.m. – Steve Schoonover, Guest Speaker — this event is free and open to all BMA members and guests -- We will begin with a brief business meeting, followed by BMA board member and author Steve Schoonover, who will share insights from his book Before Ishi: The Life and Death of the Yahi, which aims to untangle the true history of the Yahi people from the mythology surrounding Ishi.
Schoonover will begin the focus of his talk in July 1865, when the murder of two white children in Butte County sparked calls to remove all Native people from the region. John Bidwell attended the tense meeting at Pence’s Ranch, defending the Mechoopda from collective blame—a stand that would shape his complicated role in the events that followed. Schoonover explores how Bidwell helped shield the Mechoopda, securing cavalry protection at Rancho Chico while navigating both community hostility and state politics. He’ll also share what drew him to the story and how his research uncovered surprising truths. Through this talk, attendees will gain a deeper, more nuanced view of the Yahi, Bidwell, and a difficult chapter of California history. |
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