Bidwell's Bar, California
Encyclopedia
Bidwell's 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
, 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. 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. 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. 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.
Living in Bidwell's Bar was rough. Many people lived in tents, and fleas were plentiful. A visitor in the 1850s described the place as a "rag city" and devoid of suitable accommodations.
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.
Mining reached its peak in 1856-1857. 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
). The county seat moved in 1856. 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.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining camp in Butte County
Butte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which lay at the end of the California Trail
California Trail
The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California...
. It was located 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east-northeast of Oroville
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
, at an elevation of 902 feet (275 m).
It was founded by John Bidwell
John Bidwell
John Bidwell was known throughout California and across the nation as an important pioneer, farmer, soldier, statesman, politician, prohibitionist and philanthropist...
, who discovered gold near the Middle Fork of the Feather River
Feather River
The Feather River is the principal tributary of the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The river's main stem is about long. Its length to its most distant headwater tributary is about . Its drainage basin is about...
on July 4, 1848. 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. 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
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, and the town's population swelled to 2,000, becoming prominent enough to become the county seat. 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.
Living in Bidwell's Bar was rough. Many people lived in tents, and fleas were plentiful. A visitor in the 1850s described the place as a "rag city" and devoid of suitable accommodations.
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
Bidwell Bar Bridge
The Bidwell Bar Bridge, in Oroville, California, refers to two suspension bridges which cross different parts of Lake Oroville. The original Bidwell Bar Bridge was the first steel suspension bridge in California. The $35,000, 240-foot long original was completed in December 1855, and was built of...
, the first suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The first bridge was destroyed in an 1852 flood, but the new bridge was completed in 1856.
Mining reached its peak in 1856-1857. 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
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
). The county seat moved in 1856. 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
Lake Oroville
Lake Oroville, also known as Lake Edmonston, is a reservoir in the U.S. state of California, formed by the Oroville Dam across the Feather River. The lake is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada about northeast of Oroville. At over , it is one of the largest reservoirs in California,...
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
Mother Orange Tree
The Mother Orange Tree is the oldest living orange tree in Northern California. It is growing in Oroville, California.-History:Originally planted in Bidwell's Bar near the Bidwell Bar Bridge, the tree is a Mediterranean sweet orange Citrus × sinensis cultivar. The citrus rootstock was brought from...
, the first orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
tree in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
The site of the town has been declared a California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
(#330).
A post office operated from 1853 to 1900, with a brief closure in 1864 to 1865.