John Bidwell

John Bidwell
Member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1867
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	James A. Johnson
Member of the California Senate from the Sacramento District
In office 1849–1851
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Alonzo W. Adams
Personal details
Born	(1819-08-05)August 5, 1819 Chautauqua County, New York
Died	April 4, 1900(1900-04-04) (aged 80) Chico, California
Political party	Democratic Party, Republican Party, Anti-Monopoly Party, Prohibition Party
Spouse	Annie Bidwell
Residence(s)	Bidwell Mansion, Chico, California
Alma mater	Kingsville Academy
Occupation	farmer, soldier, gold miner
Military service
Allegiance	United States California Republic
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	Battalion of California Volunteers
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War Bear Flag Revolt

John Bidwell (August 5, 1819 – April 4, 1900) was known throughout California and across the nation as an important pioneer, farmer, soldier, statesman, politician, prohibitionist and philanthropist. He is famous for leading one of the first emigrant parties, known as the Bartleson–Bidwell Party, along the California Trail, and for founding Chico, California. He also traveled to Washington DC to ask Abraham Lincoln to sign documents to incorporate California as a state of the United States.

Biography

Bidwell was born in Chautauqua County, New York. The Bidwell family was originally from England and came to America in the colonial era. The Bidwell family moved to Erie, Pennsylvania in 1829, and then to Ashtabula County, Ohio in 1831. At age 17, he attended and shortly thereafter became Principal of Kingsville Academy.

In 1841 Bidwell became one of the first emigrants on the California Trail. John Sutter employed Bidwell as his business manager shortly after Bidwell’s arrival in California. Shortly after the James W. Marshall’s discovery at Sutter's Mill, Bidwell also discovered gold on the Feather River establishing a productive claim at Bidwell Bar in advance of the California Gold Rush. Bidwell obtained the four square league Rancho Los Ulpinos land grant after being naturalized as a Mexican citizen in 1844, and the two square league Rancho Colus grant on the Sacramento River in 1845; later selling that grant and buying Rancho Arroyo Chico on Chico Creek to establish a ranch and farm.

Bidwell obtained the rank of major while fighting in the Mexican–American War. He served in the California Senate in 1849, supervised the census of California in 1850 and again in 1860. He was a delegate to the 1860 national convention of the Democratic Party. He was appointed brigadier general of the California Militia in 1863. He was a delegate to the national convention of the Republican Party in 1864 and was a Republican member of Congress from 1865 to 1867.

In 1865, General Bidwell backed a petition from settlers at Red Bluff, California to protect Red Bluff’s trail to the Owyhee Mines of Idaho. The United States Army commissioned 7 forts for this purpose, and selected a site near Fandango Pass at the base of the Warner Mountains in the north end of Surprise Valley, and on June 10, 1865 ordered Fort Bidwell to be built there. The fort was built amid escalating fighting with the Snake Indians of eastern Oregon and southern Idaho. It was a base for operations in the Snake War that lasted until 1868 and the later Modoc War. Although traffic dwindled on the Red Bluff route once the Central Pacific Railroad extended into Nevada in 1868, the Army staffed Fort Bidwell to quell various uprisings and disturbances until 1890. A Paiute reservation and small community maintain the name Fort Bidwell.

Annie and John Bidwell

His wife, Annie Kennedy Bidwell, was the daughter of Joseph C. G. Kennedy, a socially prominent, high ranking Washington official in the United States Census Bureau who was active in the Whig party. She was deeply religious, and committed to a number of moral and social causes. Annie was very active in the suffrage and prohibition movements.

The Bidwells were married April 16, 1868 in Washington, D.C. with then President Andrew Johnson and future President Ulysses S. Grant among the guests. Upon arrival in Chico, the Bidwells used their mansion extensively for entertainment of friends. Some of the guests who visited Bidwell Mansion were President Rutherford B. Hayes, General William T. Sherman, Susan B. Anthony, Frances Willard, Governor Leland Stanford, John Muir, Joseph Dalton Hooker and Asa Gray.

In 1875 Bidwell ran for Governor of California on the Anti-Monopoly Party ticket. As a strong advocate of the temperance movement, he presided over the Prohibition Party state convention in 1888 and was the Prohibition candidate for governor in 1880.

In 1892, Bidwell was the Prohibition Party candidate for President of the United States. The Bidwell/Cranfill ticket came in fourth place and received 271,058 votes, or 2.3 percent nationwide. It was the largest total vote and highest percentage of the vote received by any Prohibition Party national ticket.

John Bidwell’s autobiography, Echoes of the Past, was published in 1900.

Fraternal allegiance

• Bidwell was a Freemason for a time but left the group. He stated that allegiance to the fraternity "was pointless" in a letter to Annie Bidwell on October 17, 1867. His signature still appears in the Book of By-Laws of the Chico-Leland Stanford Lodge #111 in Chico California

See also

• Bartleson–Bidwell Party
• California Republic
• Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
• California Trail
• Michael Gillis
• Temperance movement

Bibliography

• "The First Emigrant Train to California" by John Bidwell
• "Bidwell-Bartleson Trail Guide" by Roy D. Tea
• Autobiography and Reminiscence of John Bidwell, San Francisco, 1904 [Transcription]. The Society of California Pioneers, via Calisphere.
• Guide to the Bidwell Family Papers at The Bancroft Library

• United States Congress. "John Bidwell (id: B000447)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.