February/march 2026 Edition
articles
- Message from the President
- Update on the Structural Assessment of Bidwell Mansion
- Recreated Bidwell Mansion Architectural Elements Survived Fire
- A Name in a Letter: George and the Black Vaquero Tradition
- Vinegar Valentines: The Darker Side to a Sweet Holiday
- Be Part of Bidwell Mansion’s Ongoing Story
- Reimagining Bidwell Mansion
- Join the BMA Board and Make a Difference
message from the president
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Dear BMA Members and Friends,
As we move further into the new year, I find myself thinking not only about what we’ve lost, but about what remains—and what lies ahead. Looking forward, there is still so much we do not know about the future of the Bidwell Mansion. But there is something we can be certain of: this community. Thank you for remaining invested in our local history and the Mansion’s future. Over the past year, this process has required a great deal of patience from all of us. Waiting for clear answers and visible progress has not been easy, and I know many of us—myself included—have felt that frustration. While things have not been moving as quickly as hoped, and there are still so many unanswered questions, BMA will continue to serve as a steady presence as we move into this new chapter—sharing information as it becomes available, encouraging transparency, and advocating for the historical significance of this place. Our role is not only to remember what was, but to remain engaged so that future decisions fully acknowledge the Mansion’s place in Chico’s story and in California history. |
In the meantime, we will continue doing what we do best: sharing the history, hosting events, and keeping the legacy of the Bidwells alive in our community. The Mansion as we know it may be gone, but the history—and the responsibility to steward it—remains.
Thank you for your continued membership, friendship, and engagement. Your steady support gives strength to the work ahead.
With much appreciation,
Adrienne Glatz, President, Bidwell Mansion Association
Thank you for your continued membership, friendship, and engagement. Your steady support gives strength to the work ahead.
With much appreciation,
Adrienne Glatz, President, Bidwell Mansion Association
Update on the Structural Analysis of Bidwell Mansion
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Last October, California State Parks began a comprehensive structural analysis of Bidwell Mansion. A draft report was received in December, with initial hopes of sharing it publicly soon after.
After further review and additional site evaluations, several technical questions were identified that require more investigation before the next steps can be determined. While California State Parks is committed to transparency, sharing incomplete findings could lead to speculation or unintended expectations. Ensuring accuracy now will support a more informed and productive public engagement process. Out of respect for the Chico community and all who value the Mansion, current efforts are focused on completing this foundational analysis. Once resolved, California State Parks plans to move forward with public surveys and workshops grounded in clear, reliable information about the Mansion’s structural needs. |
Matt Bates/University Photographer/Chico State
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California State Parks appreciates the community’s continued patience and interest as this important and complex work progresses. Once the analysis is complete, Parks looks forward to engaging the public with a comprehensive and informed path forward for this historic landmark.
Recreated Bidwell Mansion Architectural Elements Survived Fire
by Steve Schoonover
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Although the future of the Mansion has not yet been determined, architectural pieces recreated prior to the fire could serve as useful reference materials if reconstruction is pursued.
As part of the renovation project underway at the time of the December 2024 arson fire, a company in Eureka had been hired to recreate the wooden architectural ornaments on the mansion. The original pieces on the mansion—balustrades, rails, corbels, urns, and the like—were in bad shape after years of exposure to the weather, and in the case of the corbels, from the attention of acorn woodpeckers. |
The urns and railings visible on the top of the Bidwell Mansion tower were the only replacement architectural elements that had been placed prior to the December 2024 arson fire. The other pieces were still being assembled in a warehouse elsewhere in Chico.
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Blue Ox Millworks master craftsman Eric Hollenbeck said they had completed about 75 percent of the replacement pieces at the time of the fire. He understood that the contractor—M3 Integrated Services of Santa Rosa—was putting them up as fast as he could make them.
“We were doing it in stages, trying to stay ahead of the construction. After the fire, we just stopped, of course.”
But Kai Cherry of M3 said almost all of Blue Ox’s work was still being assembled in a rented warehouse in Chico at the time of the fire. “The rails were in various states of repair. Some were finished, some were not.”
The only pieces that had been placed on the mansion were the railings and urns at the top of the tower. The ruins of those can still be seen hanging over the mansion.
After the fire, Cherry said State Parks came and collected all the original and new pieces and shipped them to the State Museum Collections Center on the former McClellan Air Force Base in northern Sacramento.
Hollenbeck said unfinished work could be completed, and the few pieces that burned could be replaced. “Whether I do the job or not doesn’t matter, but we have the original patterns.”
He thinks the mansion should be rebuilt. “It’s so historic, I think it would be a crime to not redo it. Yeah, it will be expensive. But we have something right now. In 10 years, it’ll be gone.”
These days, Hollenbeck is working on the restoration of the facade of a house in San Francisco that got “stripped and muddled,” and the rebuilding of a cottage on Martha’s Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast.
“We were doing it in stages, trying to stay ahead of the construction. After the fire, we just stopped, of course.”
But Kai Cherry of M3 said almost all of Blue Ox’s work was still being assembled in a rented warehouse in Chico at the time of the fire. “The rails were in various states of repair. Some were finished, some were not.”
The only pieces that had been placed on the mansion were the railings and urns at the top of the tower. The ruins of those can still be seen hanging over the mansion.
After the fire, Cherry said State Parks came and collected all the original and new pieces and shipped them to the State Museum Collections Center on the former McClellan Air Force Base in northern Sacramento.
Hollenbeck said unfinished work could be completed, and the few pieces that burned could be replaced. “Whether I do the job or not doesn’t matter, but we have the original patterns.”
He thinks the mansion should be rebuilt. “It’s so historic, I think it would be a crime to not redo it. Yeah, it will be expensive. But we have something right now. In 10 years, it’ll be gone.”
These days, Hollenbeck is working on the restoration of the facade of a house in San Francisco that got “stripped and muddled,” and the rebuilding of a cottage on Martha’s Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast.
A Name in a Letter: George and Black Vaquero History
In 1849, it was next to impossible to get good men to work on Rancho Chico when there was “gold in them thar hills” and John Bidwell needed skilled workers. In December 1849, he wrote to his friend George McKinstry and told him about his latest hire, a “negro man George” who was skilled in taming horses. Expertise was more important than color.
San Francisco Dec. 2. 1849
San Francisco Dec. 2. 1849
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Dear MacK,
I arrived here after a passage of 12 days – I believe I omitted to say to you that, before I left the ranch, I made arrangement with a negro man George to tame the colts on the farm, and to stay there until next March, and to attend to all the various vaquero duties for one horse & one pr. of mochilas – He liked your Red ear horse & I promised I would try & get him of you – he is not very serviceable for the Ranch and I hope you will have no objection to it – I mention this so that you may not give any orders for him – I have not been able to get any more Garden Seeds for the Ranch – but will try tomorrow & write you again – I hope you did not omit to send what you had by Doct. Clinton. The Steamer Oregon arrived yesterday from Panama – I learned nothing new except that the cholera is at Mazatlan – 450 passengers. Yours truly, J. Bidwell |
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Bidwell had just been elected to the California State Senate. He was in San Francisco conducting business before going to San Jose to serve in the legislature.
We don’t know anything else about George. Not his surname, or where he was from, or where he went. We do know what he was paid for three months’ work with the colts: a “red ear” horse that he liked the looks of, and a pair of mochilas (saddlebags). Many thanks to BMA board member Nancy Leek for generously allowing us to use her wonderful research on this topic, originally shared on her blog, Goldfields. |
A portion of Bidwell's 1849 letter to George McKinstry.
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What Was a Vaquero?
The word vaquero comes from the Spanish word vaca, meaning cow. In Spanish and Mexican California, a vaquero was far more than a cowboy in the Hollywood sense. He was a highly trained horseman and cattle worker. Someone who was trusted to manage livestock, break and train young horses, and maintain order across vast ranch lands.
Long before the American “cowboy” became a national icon, the vaquero tradition shaped ranching culture across California, Texas, Mexico, and the Southwest. Vaqueros were highly skilled not just in horsemanship but also in precision roping and cattle handling. Their work took place within the vast rancho system, where managing livestock across expansive landscapes required discipline, trust, and deep knowledge of both horse and herd.
Across the American West, particularly after the Civil War, historians estimate that as many as one in four cowboys was Black. Some were formerly enslaved, while others were free men who built reputations as skilled horse trainers and ranch hands.
In early California, racial categories during the Mexican era (1821–1848) functioned differently than they would after California became part of the United States and was no longer under Mexican governance. While discrimination certainly existed, ranch life placed tremendous value on skill. A man who could break difficult colts, manage cattle, and handle horses safely was an asset, especially during the Gold Rush, when labor was scarce.
That context makes Bidwell’s 1849 letter especially telling. Although he identifies George as Black, the remainder of the description centers entirely on his work—taming colts, handling vaquero duties, and the terms of his compensation. In a moment when reliable labor was scarce, Bidwell’s focus appears to be on George’s capability rather than his background.
As noted in Nancy’s article above, we may never know George’s full story—where he came from, or where he went after his three months of working for Bidwell. But placing him within the broader history of Black vaqueros helps us see him not as a footnote but as part of a larger, often-overlooked history: skilled Black horsemen who helped shape ranching in early California.
The word vaquero comes from the Spanish word vaca, meaning cow. In Spanish and Mexican California, a vaquero was far more than a cowboy in the Hollywood sense. He was a highly trained horseman and cattle worker. Someone who was trusted to manage livestock, break and train young horses, and maintain order across vast ranch lands.
Long before the American “cowboy” became a national icon, the vaquero tradition shaped ranching culture across California, Texas, Mexico, and the Southwest. Vaqueros were highly skilled not just in horsemanship but also in precision roping and cattle handling. Their work took place within the vast rancho system, where managing livestock across expansive landscapes required discipline, trust, and deep knowledge of both horse and herd.
Across the American West, particularly after the Civil War, historians estimate that as many as one in four cowboys was Black. Some were formerly enslaved, while others were free men who built reputations as skilled horse trainers and ranch hands.
In early California, racial categories during the Mexican era (1821–1848) functioned differently than they would after California became part of the United States and was no longer under Mexican governance. While discrimination certainly existed, ranch life placed tremendous value on skill. A man who could break difficult colts, manage cattle, and handle horses safely was an asset, especially during the Gold Rush, when labor was scarce.
That context makes Bidwell’s 1849 letter especially telling. Although he identifies George as Black, the remainder of the description centers entirely on his work—taming colts, handling vaquero duties, and the terms of his compensation. In a moment when reliable labor was scarce, Bidwell’s focus appears to be on George’s capability rather than his background.
As noted in Nancy’s article above, we may never know George’s full story—where he came from, or where he went after his three months of working for Bidwell. But placing him within the broader history of Black vaqueros helps us see him not as a footnote but as part of a larger, often-overlooked history: skilled Black horsemen who helped shape ranching in early California.
Vinegar Valentines: The Darker Side to a Sweet Holiday
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Valentine’s Day—wrapped in romance, roses, and chocolates—may be behind us for the year, but the holiday once carried a surprisingly biting edge that’s almost too interesting to forget.
In the 19th century, February 14 wasn’t just about lace-paper cards and sentimental verses one might send to their sweetheart or crush. Vinegar valentines, also known as “comic” or “mock” valentines, featured exaggerated illustrations and cutting rhymes designed to tease, embarrass, reject, and openly mock their recipients. By the 1840s and 1850s, Valentine’s Day had become a full-blown craze in both the United States and England. Publishers such as McLoughlin Brothers mass-produced both sentimental and satirical cards. It’s estimated that, during the 19th century, vinegar valentines accounted for nearly half of all Valentine’s Day sales in America. Inexpensive, these cards often sold for just a penny, thus also earning the nickname “penny dreadfuls.” They did not discriminate and targeted all walks of society: the flirt, the drunkard, the nagging spouse, the vain young man, the cranky old man, the gossip, the gambler, the bookworm, and the so-called “old maid.” Many cards mocked specific occupations, from lawyers to clerks to even the police, offering a surprising and vivid snapshot of America’s growing middle class. As one might imagine, the vast majority of these cards were sent anonymously, allowing people to say what they might never dare say out loud and face-to-face, much like social media today. While some cards playfully made fun of their recipients, others could be quite cruel. In many cases, this prompted newspapers and magazines of the time to condemn them as vulgar and morally corrosive. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on your view—very few of these cards survive today, as they weren’t exactly the type of memento a person would have kept. However, the examples that do exist offer us a fascinating glimpse into Victorian humor, social expectations, and the 19th-century commercial side of this holiday. However, this darker Valentine’s Day “humor” hasn’t exactly disappeared entirely. While original examples live on in museum collections and can sometimes be found in antique shops, specialty printmakers and historical sites occasionally print reproductions for sale. Modern “anti-valentines” seem to have taken their place, echoing the spirit of their Victorian predecessors, though the tone is usually more playful rather than cruel. What was once a cheaply printed jab now endures as both a historical curiosity and a cultural record, offering insight into the humor and social dynamics of the 19th century. Today, Valentine’s Day is remembered for Cupid’s arrows and tender sentiments, but over 175 years ago, some of those arrows were unmistakably tipped with vinegar. |
"'Tis said you share your love with many, but I believe you have not any at least enough to give away, you keep it for yourself they say." c. 1870
"A WARNING: Pray take an honest friend's advice, or you will have to pay the price. Your idle tongue must cease to wag, or it will wear this warning tag."
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"You're a Bird! A mix of every thing absurd. We rightly say you are "a bird." Your beak, to every one's disgust, in what concerns you not thrust: just try to be a mite less busy, or the dose you'll get will make you dizzy."
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"I'm not attracted by your glitter. For well I know how very bitter my life would be, if I should take you for my spouse, a rattlesnake. Oh no, I'd not accept the ring. Or evermore 'twould favor a sting." c. 1870
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"Valentine Greetings: Greed. The card-playing maid is the "limit." Her mind's on the cards ev'ry minute; if she loses the prize, oh, how deeply she sighs, "'Tis so awful not to be in it!" c. 1902
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Be Part of Bidwell Mansion’s Ongoing Story
Your Membership Matters More Than Ever
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A lot has changed—but what hasn’t is the heart of this community. Our members are at the center of everything we do, and your support continues to help us share the story of Bidwell Mansion in new and meaningful ways.
We invite you to become a member of the BMA or renew your membership. Your membership support is essential now more than ever in helping us carry the story forward into the next chapter. By becoming a BMA member or renewing your membership, you help:
Plus, members enjoy perks like a 10% discount at the General’s Store (when the Visitor Center reopens), invitations to members-only events, and weekly BMA updates and quarterly newsletters. |
As we move into the next chapter—one that blends memory with momentum—your membership helps carry the legacy forward. Please consider becoming a member or renewing your membership today!
Reimagining Bidwell Mansion
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The Reimagine Bidwell Mansion effort is underway—and your input matters. By signing up for updates at the official website, you’ll be the first to know when the public survey goes live and stay informed about upcoming workshops and pop-up events.
This is your chance to help shape the future of a place that holds meaning for so many. Whether you have ideas, memories, or just want to stay involved, your voice helps carry the legacy forward. Together, let’s help define what the next chapter of the Bidwell Mansion will be. |
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Join the BMA Board and Make a Difference
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As we move into a new year and a new chapter, the role of the Bidwell Mansion Association has never been more critical. Even with the mansion closed, our work continues—sharing its history, supporting the community, and helping keep the Bidwell legacy present in Chico.
We’re seeking passionate, committed individuals to join our Board of Directors. As a board member, you’ll help guide our projects, shape programs, and contribute to the work that keeps the spirit of the mansion alive during this pivotal time. Whether your strengths lie in history, education, fundraising, event planning, or simply a deep appreciation for this historic site, your perspective is welcome. |
If you’re ready to share your time and talents, we’d love to hear from you. Visit our board member application to learn more.
