Bidwell's Bar, California: Difference between revisions

Bidwell Bar
Bidwell Bar
Former settlement
Country	United States
State	California
County	Butte County
Elevation	902 ft (275 m)

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39°33′24″N 121°26′29″W / 39.55667°N 121.44139°W / 39.55667; -121.44139

Bidwell's Bar (also known as Bidwell Bar, Bedwells Bar, and Bidwells Bar) was a gold mining camp in Butte County, California, United States, which lay at the end of the California Trail. It was located 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east-northeast of Oroville,^[2] at an elevation of 902 feet (275 m).

It was founded by John Bidwell, who discovered gold near the Middle Fork of the Feather River on July 4, 1848.^[3] Bidwell carried on a barter trade with local Native Americans, trading foodstuffs for the yellow rock which was of no particular value to the Native Americans.^[3] As word of the gold discovery got out, a mining camp arose. By 1853, the camp had attracted enough miners to warrant a post office, and the town's population swelled to 2,000, becoming prominent enough to become the county seat.^[3] A fire destroyed much of the town in 1854, but it was quickly rebuilt. By the late 1850s, Bidwell's Bar was served by Whiting's Dog Express, a dog-sled service which used trained canines to deliver mail and supplies to various mining camps.^[3]

Living in Bidwell's Bar was rough, many people lived in tents and fleas were plentiful.^[3] A visitor in the 1850s described the place as a "rag city" and devoid of suitable accommodations.^[3]

Ferrying people and supplies across the river proved to be difficult, especially during the winter months, and funds were raised to construct the Bidwell Bar Bridge, the first suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River. The first bridge was destroyed in an 1852 flood, but the new bridge was completed in 1856.^[3]

Mining reached its peak in 1856-1857.^[3] However, as quickly as the town rose, it went into decline. By the end of 1856, the year the bridge was completed, the gold disappeared and the San Francisco Bulletin called it "Another Deserted Village." Miners were instead going to nearby Ophir (now Oroville).^[3] The couty seat moved in 1856.^[3] Within a year, the population was down to 200, and by 1882, only 30 people remained. The last remnants of the town were submerged with the creation of Lake Oroville in 1968, and only the original bridge and the clock tower (in Butte County Historical Museum) are left. Another survivor of the town is the Mother Orange Tree, the first orange tree in Northern California.

The site of the town has been declared a California Historical Landmark (#330).

A post office operated from 1853 to 1900, with a brief closure in 1864 to 1865.^[2]

References

^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bidwell's Bar, California
^ ^a ^b Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 193. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Miller, Donald C. (1978). Ghost Towns of California. Boulder, Colorado: Pruett Publishing Company. p. 17. ISBN 0871085178.

Kurutz, Gary F. "Bidwell's Bar". California Gold Rush Camps. Retrieved 2005-09-06.
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bidwell's Bar, California

This Butte County, California-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bidwell's Bar, California

[CGN-2] Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 193. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.

[GT-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Miller, Donald C. (1978). Ghost Towns of California. Boulder, Colorado: Pruett Publishing Company. p. 17. ISBN 0871085178.

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@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 '''Bidwell's Bar''' (also known as '''Bidwell Bar''', '''Bedwells Bar''', and '''Bidwells Bar''') was a [[gold]] mining camp in [[Butte County, California|Butte County]], [[California]], [[United States]], which lay at the end of the [[California Trail]].  It was located {{convert|6.5|mi|km}} east-northeast of [[Oroville, California|Oroville]],<ref name=CGN>{{California's Geographic Names|193}}</ref> at an elevation of 902 feet (275 [[metres|m]]).
-It was founded by [[John Bidwell]], who discovered gold near the Middle Fork of the [[Feather River]] in 1848. By 1851, the camp had attracted enough miners to warrant a [[post office]], and by 1853, the town's population swelled to 3,000, becoming prominent enough to become the county seat. A fire destroyed much of the town in 1854, but it was quickly rebuilt.
+It was founded by [[John Bidwell]], who discovered gold near the Middle Fork of the [[Feather River]] on July 4, 1848.<ref name=GT /> Bidwell carried on a barter trade with local Native Americans, trading foodstuffs for the yellow rock which was of no particular value to the Native Americans.<ref name=GT /> As word of the gold discovery got out, a mining camp arose.  By 1853, the camp had attracted enough miners to warrant a [[post office]], and the town's population swelled to 2,000, becoming prominent enough to become the county seat.<ref name=GT /> A fire destroyed much of the town in 1854, but it was quickly rebuilt. By the late 1850s, Bidwell's Bar was served by [[Whiting's Dog Express]], a dog-sled service which used trained canines to deliver mail and supplies to various mining camps.<ref name=GT />
+Living in Bidwell's Bar was rough, many people lived in tents and fleas were plentiful.<ref name=GT>{{Ghost Towns of California|17}}</ref> A visitor in the 1850s described the place as a "rag city" and devoid of suitable accommodations.<ref name=GT />
-Ferrying people and supplies across the river proved to be difficult, especially during the winter months, and funds were raised to construct the [[Bidwell Bar Bridge]], the first [[suspension bridge]] west of the [[Mississippi River]]. The bridge was completed in 1856.
+Ferrying people and supplies across the river proved to be difficult, especially during the winter months, and funds were raised to construct the [[Bidwell Bar Bridge]], the first [[suspension bridge]] west of the [[Mississippi River]]. The first bridge was destroyed in an 1852 flood, but the new bridge was completed in 1856.<ref name=GT />
-As quickly as the town rose, it went into decline. By the end of 1856, the year the bridge was completed, the gold disappeared and the ''San Francisco Bulletin'' called it "Another Deserted Village." Miners were instead going to nearby Ophir (now [[Oroville, California|Oroville]]). Within a year, the population was down to 200, and by 1882, only 30 people remained. The last remnants of the town were submerged with the creation of [[Lake Oroville]] in 1968, and only the original bridge and the clock tower (in [[Butte County Historical Museum]]) are left. Another survivor of the town is the [[Mother Orange Tree]], the first [[orange (fruit)|orange]] tree in [[Northern California]].
+Mining reached its peak in 1856-1857.<ref name=GT /> However, as quickly as the town rose, it went into decline. By the end of 1856, the year the bridge was completed, the gold disappeared and the ''San Francisco Bulletin'' called it "Another Deserted Village." Miners were instead going to nearby Ophir (now [[Oroville, California|Oroville]]).<ref name=GT /> The couty seat moved in 1856.<ref name=GT />  Within a year, the population was down to 200, and by 1882, only 30 people remained. The last remnants of the town were submerged with the creation of [[Lake Oroville]] in 1968, and only the original bridge and the clock tower (in [[Butte County Historical Museum]]) are left. Another survivor of the town is the [[Mother Orange Tree]], the first [[orange (fruit)|orange]] tree in [[Northern California]].
 The site of the town has been declared a [[California Historical Landmark]] (#330).

v t e Municipalities and communities of Butte County, California, United States
County seat: Oroville
Cities and towns	Biggs Chico Gridley Oroville Paradise	Butte County map
CDPs	Bangor Berry Creek Butte Creek Canyon Butte Meadows Butte Valley Cherokee Clipper Mills Cohasset Concow Durham Forbestown Forest Ranch Honcut Kelly Ridge Magalia Nord Oroville East Palermo Rackerby‡ Richvale Robinson Mill South Oroville Stirling City Thermalito Yankee Hill
Unincorporated communities	Big Bend Brush Creek Cana Centerville Dayton DeSabla East Gridley Feather Falls Helltown Hurleton Inskip Jonesville Lomo Lovelock Mayaro Merrimac Nelson Nimshew Old Forbestown Paradise Pines Powellton Pulga Richardson Springs Sunnyslope Toadtown Wyandotte
Ghost towns	Bagdad Bauka Bayu Bidwell's Bar Coutolenc Diamondville Enterprise Eskini Flea Valley Hamilton Hokomo Holhoto Isaiah Kalkalya Kulaiapto Lumpkin Lynchburg Michopdo Neals Diggins Nelson Bar Ololopa Oregon City Otaki Paki Rock Creek Sunusi Tadoiko Taikus Totoma Tsuka Yauko Yuman
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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