BIDWELL
MANSION was the home of General John Bidwell and his wife Annie
Ellicott Kennedy Bidwell from the time of their marriage in 1868
until the end of their lives in 1900 and 1918 respectively.
Construction of the 26-room mansion began in 1865, prior to John
Bidwell's first introduction to his future bride, which occurred in
the early part of 1865. 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.
During their
courtship and prior to their marriage the Bidwells together planned
the furnishings of the Mansion as well as the finishing stages of
construction. Henry W. Cleaveland was the architect of the $56,000
house. The most modern gas lighting, plumbing and water systems
were installed, and every detail of hardware and handwork was
meticulously finished. The overall style of the three-story brick
structure was that of an Italian villa or country estate, an
informal, warmly romantic style that was further heightened by
covering the brick walls with pink-tinted plaster and painting the
wood trim a complimentary brown tone.
The Bidwells were
firm advocates of western hospitality and the Mansion was used
extensively for entertainment of friends and special guests. Some
of the guests during the years were President and Mrs. Rutherford
B. Hayes, General William T. Sherman, Susan B. Anthony, Frances
Willard, Governor Leland Stanford, John Muir, Asa Gray and Sir
Joseph Hooker.
For this microcache,
your looking for a black 35mm film canister. The cache is on the
grounds outside of the mansion. Please bring your own pen or
pencil, and cover the cache to reduce the risk of the container
being found (this is a HIGH traffic area). The First To Find
gets an FTF Certificate!
Thank you to Mr.
Milbury of Chico High for the Mansion's
description.
Happy caching!!
Ed & Julie
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geocacher?
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(Northstate Unusual
Treasure Seekers)
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