Bidwell The Town at Bidwell's Bar

"Uncle Ben and Leander VanOrden were partners in the operation of a store at Bidwell's Bar prior to their purchase of the Caarlie's Ranch. Image of stoer was created with AI by the author. No original image of the store is known to exist.

Benjamin “Uncle Ben” B. Bliven and Leander P. VanOrden

Gold Miners, Businessmen and Ranchers in Early Butte County

As early participants in the gold rush they came to Butte County at different times and by different routes, but found a common bond. After each man spent some time mining, they individually realized their interests and skills should be directed to other activities.

Arriving at Bidwell’s Bar in 1849, Benjamin Barbar Bliven, age forty, was twice the age of most of the other miners. Born in the state of New York in 1809, he grew to adulthood in his home state. When the California gold discovery became known in the east, Bliven was among the first wave of overland 49’ers headed west! He arrived at Bidwell’s Bar in the fall of 1849, and like hundreds of others he did the back breaking work of mining for gold in the cold waters of the Feather River. He soon became known as “Uncle Ben” to the other miners. It is unclear if this enduring term was used because of his age, or the respect they had for him as someone with his wisdom they could trust. The reputation he developed during his life in Butte County certainly suggests these reasons for the “Uncle” title.

In 1850, he married thirty-year-old Miss Jane Thomas, a native of Maine. During their marriage they had six children, Austin, John, Jack, Jessie, Mary and Belle. Bliven was successful in his mining activities and acquired the needed funds to purchase merchandise and open a general merchandise store.

He may have opened his store at Bidwell’s Bar in 1849, since he and Leander Van Orden formed a business partnership sometime after the nineteen-year-old, Van Orden arrived in January of 1850. Both Bliven and Van Orden were from New York, although there is no reference indicating they knew each other prior to meeting at Bidwell’s Bar. At that time, VanOrden was under obligation to another group, but when that ended, he joined with Bliven in a store business at Bidwell’s Bar. It is possible the business relationship was also an act of mentorship by “Uncle Ben” with the much younger VanOrden. Bliven may have seen the potential in VanOrden and wanted to give him an opportunity to invest his mining profits. As will be seen later, this had a significant impact on VanOrden’s professional life. A mentor act by Bliven would have been consistent with his life-long reputation.

Leander VanOrden’s time mining at Bidwell Bar.

VanOrden came to California by ship, arriving in San Francisco on October 31, 1849, with George May aboard the steamer Unicorn.

It is interesting to compare two accounts of the situation associated with VanOrden when he was engaged in mining at Bidwell’s Bar. His family history presents a different impression of his arrival when compared to the material contained in Bancroft library documents relating to a Curtis-Randall-May agreement of 1850, in which Van Orden became associated. The family history conveys the idea he was free from the agreement that brought him west when he was mining at Bidwell’s Bar. The George May letter of 1850, certainly implies he still felt an obligation for VanOrden and others who were still associated with the prior agreement. There is also a minor discrepancy on the amount of time spent mining between the two source documents. More importantly, Mr. Kelly Jr. gives VanOrden credit for saving him from drowning while they were crossing the Feather River.

While mining at Bidwell’s Bar, Leander VanOrden and his mining partner, John Kelly Jr., got caught up is the Gold Lake stampede. This mining excitement was generated by a miners claim he had found a lake with moss covered rocks on the shore containing gold. He had to leave the area after being attacked by Indians, but planned to return in the following spring. Hundreds of miners shadowed him the next spring, but the lake was never found. Finding nothing, VanOrden returned to mining at Bidwell’s Bar.

An outgrowth of the Gold Lake search, several important gold discoveries were made. The most significant were centered in the La Porte, Onion Valley and Rich Bar areas of Plumas County. As a result of the Gold Lake stampede, major mining areas, developed in the mountain areas of the Feather River. It was the Rich Bar discovery that had the most significant impact on Bidwell’s Bar. The travel route from Masrysville, California passed by Charlie's Ranch abd through Bidwell's Bar to supply the mining areas in the upper reachers of the Feather River. This traffic created a very favorable business oportunity for the developing town of Bidwell's Bar.

Benjamin Bliven and Leander VanOrden’s partnership

Merchandise purchased at Marysville, destined to the mining areas between the North and Middle Forks of the Feather River passed through Bidwell’s Bar. Merchants at Bidwell’s Bar were in a prime location to benefit from this trade and add supplies from their stores. However, transporting supplies from Marysville was expensive and often involved other risks. While in partnership with Benjamin Bliven in the ownership of a grocery store at Bidwell’s Bar Van Orden had an experience returning from Marysville to Bidwell’s Bar, that was new to him since he had not traveled overland to California. His family history records his account of:

… being chased by Indians while on a return trip for Marysville with a loaded team. Having just reached the brow of a hill, upon the discovery of the pursueing Indians, a heavy wagon was dashed down the hill at full speed, and thus reached Bidwell’s Bar in safety”.

Information has not been located to define the business agreement between Bliven and VanOrden. Also missing is the reason they decided to sell the prosperous business at Bidwell’s Bar. On December 6, 1852, they sold the store to J. W. Glickman and George J. Ferguson for five hundred dollars. The property was described as:

Parcel of land -- lying and being on Bidwell Bar in Bidwell Township County, aforesaid known & described as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of the lot on which the National Hotel is built, thence north eighteen feet to the street, thence east along the street ( note: blank section on original page about 1 1/2” long- looked like they had planned to fill it in later) ___feet to the Hotel de France, thence south eighteen feet thence west to the place of beginning, being the lot known on Bidwell’s Bar as “Uncle Ben’s Store”,

Bliven and VanOrden Purchase the Charlie’s Ranch

Charlie’s Ranch was located north of Marysville, California, about halfway to Oroville, on the main road between these cities. The large operating cattle ranch was located in Butte County near the boundary with Yuba County. The ranch was established in 1845, by Charlie Rother. Since 1846, it was an overnight stopping point for John Bidwell, when he traveled between Sutter’s Fort or the Hock Farm to his ranch in Chico., California.

Benjamin B. Bliven and Leander P. VanOrden purchased the 1,280-acre ranch for ten-thousand dollars from Charles and David Clark, the surviving brothers of James Clark on January 26, 1853. At some undetermined later date Bliven and VanOrden

added a Mr. Parker to the ranch ownership. Parker’s name was not included in the original purchase from the Clark brothers. A deed or other documentation was not located providing any details about this individual or information about his financial contribution or ownership portion.

Leander VanOrden retained his ownership interest in the Charlie’s Ranch, until the spring of 1854. The ranch had incurred a crop loss due to flooding and he was also ill from re-occurring issues with Malaria. This illness had plagued him after his crossing of Panama, while working in the mosquito infested Sacramento River Delta, and when he first traveled to Bidwell’s Bar. He decided to sell his interest in Charlie’s Ranch. On May 24, 1854, VanOrden sold an undivided one-third interest to the 1,280-acre Charlie’s Ranch to J. D. Babcock.[iii] Babcock paid $7,800 dollars for this purchase. Clearly this deed confirms that when Mr. Parker joined in the ownership of the Charlie Ranch, he purchased a one-third interest in the property. VanOrden’s investment in the Charlie’s Ranch property was a good investment for him.

After six years in California, Leander VanOrden return to his home in Brooklin, New York. Soon after returning he met Miss Mary Newins and three months later they were married on October 14, 1854.

Leander VanOrden and bride return to San Francisco, California

The family history does not record if he had planned to return to California, but on November 29, 1854, they left New York for California. Traveling once again across Panama, with much better ship conditions than on his first trip west, they arrived in San Francisco on December 22, 1854. The ship had set a new record for completing the trip from New York to San Francisco in twenty-three days. Quite a different experience than his initial trip west in 1849, which may have been one of the slowest, requiring a change in ships and arriving several months behind schedule.

When he arrived in San Francisco, VanOrden, established a residence near previous mining partner, John Kelly. In 1855, he entered into a co-partnership with Fredrick Pearks in a wholesale produce and grocery business. In 1856, The Pearks & Co. firm moved its business location to Marysville, California. A third partner, Joseph Ashford, joined the relocated Pearks & Co.

In 1857, VanOrden made a major change by selling his interest in the Pearks & Co. business and locating to Oroville, California, where he established his home and a grocery business. He operated that business until 1862, when he was appointed as the Butte County Public Administrator to fill a vacated unexpired term. He was elected to that office in1862.[i] In years later he was elected to the Assessor’s position.

Once again, as when VanOrden sold his interest in the Charlie’s Ranch, health issues necessitated a change. This time there were also family matters to be considered. In 1868 or 1869, the family relocated to San Francisco where the climate better suited Leander’s Asthma condition. While living in Oroville, California, five children had been born and it was felt the relocation to San Francisco would provide the children with better educational opportunities.

At his new location in San Francisco, VanOrden, once again became involved in a variety of businesses. He simi-retired in 1873, but succumbed to getting involved in the Mining stock craze. He became involved in the Custom House Service, and was eventually promoted to the position of Chief Weigher. During the thirteen years employed in the Custom Service, he maintained a reputation as a prompt and efficient officer.

Leander P. VanOrden died on July 8, 1893, at the age of sixty-seven. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and four children. His burial was on July10, 1893, at Alameda, California.

It is unknown whether Leander VanOrden personally contributed any of the content of his family history, or if it was written later by relatives. Whoever documented Leander’s personal history made virtually no reference to the event surrounding his first trip to California. It is like his experience with the Curtis-Randall-May partnership to mint coins in San Francisco never existed. It seems either VanOrden chose to ignore the adversities of his first journey west, or later relatives who recorded the story were not aware of the event. Equally possible is the two-year period of VanOrden’s early life in California was insufficient compared to other events of his productive life.

A gold rush 49er, Benjamin "Uncle Ben" Bliven remains in Butte County

Benjamin B. Bliven continued to reside in Butte County. When Van Orden sold his one-third interest in the ranch in 1854, the ranch was then equally owned by Bliven, Parker and Babcock. An article in the Butte Record of December 1, 1855, implies that Benjamin Bliven made some form of property obligation of his one-third interest in the Charlie’s Ranch earlier in 1855. The agreement appears to be some form of a lease option by the new individuals with Bliven retaining rights for a twenty-one-year period. Bliven and his family relocated to Chico, California, in 1863, which does not match the implied 1876 date of the property agreement. Not having any details, it is a confusing obligation to place on the property. A search of the county deeds did not reveal any additional information about the agreement implied by the newspaper article. Clearly, Editor Corsette is concerned for Bliven, implying his good nature may have worked to his disadvantage in this property exchange.

We understand that our esteemed fellow citizen, B. B. Bliven, Esq., of Charley’s Ranch, has lately disposed of that valuable and productive property to a gentleman of the young American order. The purchaser, with the true filial* affection which should ever characterize Young America, has kindly consented that Mr. Bliven’s should retain possession of the property for the next twenty-one years. We trust this agreement will prove satisfactory to both parties, and that under the fatherly protection of Uncle Ben, the young freeholder will realize the expectations of his delighted and happy parents. Butte Record 12/1/1855

*Affection of or due from a son or daughter

Due to his past ownership of a business at Bidwell’s Bar and the increasing amount of traffic passing his Charlie’s Ranch location, Bliven was aware of the increasing need for a dependable bridge crossing of the Feather River at Bidwell’s Bar. He was aware the existing ferry service planned to seek a county license to construct and operate a toll bridge at that location. He was also aware that many citizens of Butte County were unhappy with the officers of that company, and the rumored ownership of a new bridge company if they were granted the county license. Bliven circulated a petition at various locations in Butte and Plumas County, gathering almost a thousand signatures in support for his application for the county license. He was competing with JEN Lewis, a politically connected individual and the principal owner of the second company seeking the license. The Bidwell Bridge Company was eventually granted the license. Bliven’s license application license was disqualified based on a procedural error in his application process.

Bliven was also involved in the mining activities occurring down-river from Bidwell’s Bar. He, along with Joseph Gluckauf and Robert Love were the major investors in 1856, development of the Montezuma Mining Claim located just below the junction of the North and Middle Forks of the Feather River. With an operating budget of $70,000, the company planned to divert a major portion of the main Feather River to mine the riverbed.

Benjamin B. Bliven was very active in Butte County real estate transactions. A search of the Butte County property deeds for the years 1850 to 1886, indicate he was involved in numerous property transactions with numerous individuals. Since this involvement does not appear to be directly related to Bidwell’s Bar, it was not researched in detail.

On October 9, 1861, Benjamin Bliven and his wife Jane, submitted a homestead application for two sections of land (1,240 acres) based in T17N & T18N R3E located in the Honcut area. The application certifies they were living on the homestead application property.

After moving from Charlie’s Ranch, in the Honcut area of Butte County, Benjamin Bliven was the manager of several ranch properties. During this time, he frequently visited the place of General Bidwell; and, in 1863 he moved to Chico to accept the position of foreman on that extensive stock and grain farm.

Benjamin “Uncle” Ben Bliven, died at age 89, on February 7, 1899, at Chico, California. His wife had died thirty-six years previous to his death and is buried in the Oroville cemetery.

The obituary tribute published in the Chico Enterprise gave a detailed account of his life’s accomplishments and closed with a tribute honoring, Benjamin “Uncle Ben” Barbar Bliven, that any one citizen would be proud to have written as a summary of their life.

Uncle Ben Bliven was a man who enjoyed the respect of all with whom he came in contact. Good natured, kind hearted and generous to a fault he was ever ready to lend a helping hand to the needy and afflicted. There are many in Butte County today who owe their start in life to the generosity of the deceased, and his name will long survive him as one of the men who aided materially in the development of this section of California.

A fitting summary for the life of a man who contributed much to the early Business community of Bidwell’s Bar and Butte County.

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