CHICO — Chico’s local pocket of history came back to life on Saturday when the Bidwell Mansion opened its doors for the first “Summer with the Bidwells” event since the pandemic with free snacks and appearances of John and Annie Bidwell.
Over two years after the start of a national shutdown, the return of the two local founders joined by a performance from the Chico Community Band and free activities for kids gave Chicoans an opportunity to connect with the community’s roots.
“Chico doesn’t realize how lucky they are to have this right in the middle of town,” said President of the Bidwell Mansion Association, Steve Schoonover. “I mean how many other cities have their founder’s house preserved from the 1800s. It’s pretty unusual.”
The association dedicated to preserving the history of the local state park has been a profound aid in fundraising for educational events and “oddball” programs that state money cannot pay for, says State Park Interpreter Jennifer Pooley.
“A lot of parks struggled during the pandemic, but they recovered more than other parks I’ve seen,” said Pooley. “These people are driven.”
Nick Anderson, who had the opportunity to portray John Bidwell, says that the return provides the opportunity for people to learn about the impact that the founder had on the entire north state.
“This is a great resource for the community to be able to get together and bring a little bit of the 19th century back to the 21st century,” said Anderson.
Robin Engel has been reprising her role as Annie Bidwell for six years, chosen for her height that exactly matches the height of the late founder — four feet and 8 inches. The role to bring back Bidwell is a connection to Chico and women’s rights and her own advocacy and humanitarian efforts, said Engel.
“She was a suffragette, she fought for women’s rights and all marginalized populations — she was a force to be reckoned with, a force for all things good,” said Engel.
The event also included free limited tours of the interior of the mansion as well as casaba melon seed planting.
At the tour, Steve Fulton and Shelli Sinclair visited the mansion where they first toured as elementary school students at Paradise Unified School District. Returning 40 years later, they found a former Paradise High School Social Studies teacher, John McKalip, two rooms over, volunteering and educating passerby.
