The Establishment of a Place Called Bidwell’s Bar
John Bidwell and George McKinstry Jr. were working at New Helvetia, a.k.a. Sutter’s Fort, when gold was discovered in January of 1848 by John Marshall at Coloma, CA. The early attempts by John Sutter to keep the gold discovery secret were thwarted by Samuel Brannan, who was also located at Sutter’s Fort, and quickly saw a way to profit from the discovery. Brannan’s plan did not require him to stand in the cold river waters searching for gold. Brannan started purchasing all the available shovels, picks, pans, pry-bars and anything he could imagine that might be used to mine for gold. Once he had purchased a large supply of materials to stock his store at New Helvetia he made a noisy announcement in Yuba Buena about the gold discovery. When the miners started passing through New Helvetia in route to Coloma, he was ready to provide their needs!
John Bidwell and George McKinstry Jr., were in a position to know the validity of the discovery but took a different approach. They formed a partnership and became personally involved in attempting to make new discoveries. They purchased supplies to support the Native Americans and bartered with them to do the mining at their discovery locations and to sell to other miners in the area. Bidwell and McKinstry were acquainted with William Dickey who, in 1844, had secured Rancho del Arroyo Chico, a 22,000 acre Mexican land grant. Bidwell realized the nearby Feather River had conditions similar to the gold discovery site at Coloma.
In February, Bidwell found traces of gold in the Feather river near Hamilton Bend. He started gathering supplies and with John Potter, John Williams, William Northgraves and William Dickey started prospecting. In about two weeks gold was located in the West Branch and on the main Feather River at White Rocks. Only Bidwell and Dickey were satisfied with the amount of gold they found. The others decided to prospect in other locations. Bidwell established his first mining camp at the mouth of Morris Ravine in May. The gold recovery at that location started to diminish so he decided to prospect up the Middle Fork. On July 4, 1848, he made a significant discovery at the site that became Bidwell’s Bar. The next day he moved his mining camp to the new discovery location and took possession of the site. In an 1889 response to a letter from Dr. Ekman, an Oroville Druggist and mining historian, John Bidwell recounted his progression in the search for gold and the discovery date at Bidwell’s Bar.
Ship Captains were traders and had the same idea as Samuel Brannan about getting a corner on the mining supply market before announcing the California gold discovery. Northwest residents in the new Oregon Territory learned about the gold discovery after a maritime merchant had secured a shipload of cargo.
Oregon Free Press
Oregon City, Saturday August 19, 1848
THE CALIFORNIA “FEVER”
Since the arrival of the Frigate Constance, which brought the news of the condition of things in California, and “let the cat out of the bag” in reference to the object to the Schooner Honolulu in coming here so secretly, we have had a perfect “fever” of excitement about the gold harvest of California. The injunction of secrecy having been removed by the timely arrival of the Frigate, the officers of the Honolulu hade divulged all that they know and have heard I regard to the gold mines and gold seeking in that country.
Initially, many in Oregon, and elsewhere, were skeptical the rumors of the gold discovery was just another “California humbug” money making scheme, but a few individuals decided to check it out just in case it was real. A wagon-train lead by Peter H. Burnett left Oregon City in early September and arrived in northern California by the end of the month. The party consisted of 150 men and 50 wagons. They entered California by the Lassen Trail, resting a few days at his Lassen’s Ranch in Vina, then again at the John Potter and Sam Neal Ranches as they proceeded southward. At the latter ranch they contracted with a man named Morris to lead them to the Feather River diggings. In a letter published in the Star newspaper in December 1848, Burnett indicated part of the Oregon group went to the Feather River and the remainder went to the Yuba River to mine. Adventurous individuals from the Northwest had the advantage of being able to travel to California gold discoveries in about a month. Those traveling from eastern states by land or sea faced a trip involving four months or more.
Oregon Free Press. October 21, 1848
Wagon train to California
We are also reliably informed that the number of persons who have gone by land to California is 960, the number of wagons 40. About 150 persons have gone by sea – making altogether an emigration of over 1100 souls.
When President James K. Polk confirmed the California gold discovery on December 5, 1848, the impossible dream started to become a possibility. This announcement undoubtedly was the tipping point to cause many individuals to start planning a journey to the California mines the next summer.
The initial trading post established by Bidwell-McKinstry at the new mining camp was probably a tent in which to secure the merchandise purchased in Sacramento. Many cattle were purchased in the Marysville area to feed the Indian miners and to provide meat to other miners. Letters between Bidwell and McKinstry indicate getting the goods transported to the new mining camp was a challenge. Moving the goods often required both water and land transportation with intermediate staging points in route.
The best information at this point indicates the Bidwell-McKinstry Trading Post at Bidwell’s Bar was in business from July or August of 1848 until October 1849. This conclusion would be consistent with comments made by John Bidwell in his letter of February 25, 1850, to McKinstry. It is clear he was no longer interested in continuing his business arrangement with McKinstry. Different priorities and business practice disagreements placed a strain on the partnership. Since he was involved in the fortunate gold discovery at Bidwell’s Bar, John Bidwell had secured enough money to move to his primary interests of agriculture and increasing involvement in State and National politics.
William Dickey sold his Rancho del Arroyo Chico, to George McKinstry Jr. in June of 1849. In July of the same year McKinstry sold a one-half interest to John Bidwell. In July 1850, the second one-half- interest was sold to Justus McKinstry, a relative of George McKinstry Jr. Then in February 12, 1851, Justus McKinstry sold his portion of the Chico ranch property to John Bidwell. Therefore, although there were some outstanding land title issues from the Dickey ownership, by 1851 John Bidwell had controlling interest in the Chico Ranch property.
By the time Bidwell and McKinstry left Bidwell’s Bar it had become a thriving mining community. William Pleasants was a member of a group arriving in October of 1849. He worked building cabins at Bidwell’s Bar for ten dollars a day. Alonzo Delano records that during October to December 1849, when he was in Sacramento getting supplies for his store, several log cabins had been built at Dawlytown a.k.a. Bidwell’s Bar.
The transition by the miner’s camp at Bidwell’s Bar from a tent city to wooden frame buildings probably occurred between 1850 -1852. This change may have included a period when the tent enclosure was enhanced by a wooden pole framework adding stability and creating a sense of permanence to the dwelling or business. The establishment of sawmills in the areas by 1851 made lumber available for both buildings and mining flumes. The availability of sawed lumber may have been when the glow of lanterns from the windows of wooden frame buildings first shined into the night darkness of the settlement. The existence of a thriving business community is reflected back to prior years by the number of merchants and the variety of services advertisements that appeared in the first issue of the Butte Record newspaper on November 12, 1853.
On July 10, 1851, a Post Office was established and Edmund Shepherd was appointed Postmaster. The Post Office was a magnet to all the miners in the surrounding area. Letters to and from home were a vital link to the outside world. A Post Office in the mining settlement was a major boost to the stability of the community and a definite benefit to merchants that wished to establish a business at that location. Interestingly, all the Postmasters appointed to the Bidwell’s Bar Post Office were also prominent local merchants.
After John Bidwell stopped mining at Bidwell’s Bar and closed his business partnership with McKinstry he was no longer involved with any other activities at that location. The surge of miners who arrived in the Bidwell’s Bar area in 1849 to 1852 included many individuals who, after mining for a while, determined that establishing a business was the way they wanted to get their gold. Others had political ambitions and were involved in the establishment of the Butte County Government. A group of four residents started a movement to get the Butte County Seat of Government moved to Bidwell’s Bar.
