OUR HERITAGE

History of Chico

John Bidwell built Chico by developing the community.
These are some quick stories of how he did it.

1850’s - 1860’s

John Bidwell helped design the layout of Chico. Some of the first things he built were a General Store, the Chico Roller Flour Mill, and his mansion.

1841 - 1850’s

John Bidwell lead one of the first emigrant parties down the California Trail. Upon arriving in California, he bought over 30,000 acres of land. This lead to the founding of Chico.

1850’s - 1860’s

The Gold Rush attracted a lot of people to Chico. This helped finance agricultural in the area and also helped Chico grow.
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