John Bidwell: Soldier, Farmer, and Lovelorn Beau

 by Martha Hutchens

image by mikeledray, deposit photos

John Bidwell traveled to California in 1841 at the age of 22. He soon became John Sutter’s business manager and was among the first to learn of the gold discovery at Sutter’s Mill. Shortly after, he found gold himself at the Feather River.

At that time, California was under Mexican control. Bidwell became a Mexican citizen to purchase land legally and received a land grant for Rancho del Arroyo Chico in 1844. But in 1846, the Mexican-American War broke out in Texas and quickly spread across the Southwest. Bidwell joined the California militia and served under John C. Frémont. When the war ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Bidwell was honored with the title General.

After the war, Bidwell focused on agriculture, developing vineyards and orchards on his land. He created his own almond variety and was one of the first to harvest a commercial raisin crop in California. By the 1850s, he owned 30,000 acres and grew everything from wheat to melons.

In 1865, Bidwell was elected to the United States House of Representatives—an achievement that would change the course of his life.

Annie Kennedy was 26, considered past the usual age of marriage. Small and delicate in build, she devoted herself to good works, especially women's suffrage, temperance, public education, and other reform causes. Her father, the superintendent of the U.S. census, held many social responsibilities that Annie and her mother helped manage. Marriage, she believed, would require her to give up her mission.

General Bidwell became a frequent guest at the Kennedy home during his time in Washington, but Annie was shocked to receive a letter from him in January 1867.

image by ronstik, deposit photos

“I never could marry unless I loved,” he wrote, “and I never loved till I came here, and then with an intensity that seemed to me to equal if not surpass any tale of fiction.”

Startled, Annie dashed off a quick and rather stern refusal. But later that day, her conscience pricked her. She sent another note, softer in tone:

“Do not think me ungrateful if obliged to write that which may grieve you. Be assured I am deeply grieved myself. Grieved that I should be the cause of pain to you.”

Though heartbroken, the General thought he sensed not rejection, but fear. Not fear of him, but of change.

“I will try to see you often while I stay in Washington,” he replied. “But Annie, unless you tell me your heart and hand are betrothed to another, I shall live in hope as long as life shall last.”

Bidwell was on a deadline—he would return to California in March. Annie forbade him to approach her parents with a formal courtship. He sent more letters, but she remained firm. He returned to California heartbroken, yet undeterred.

Over the following year, they continued their correspondence across the miles. Though letters took weeks to arrive, their unusual courtship endured. At last, Annie gave the General permission to speak to her father. They were married on April 16, 1868.

Annie need not have feared sacrificing her life's work. Instead, she gained a partner who shared her values. Bidwell ran for president in 1892 as the candidate for the Prohibition Party. While the land he farmed originally belonged to the Mechoopda people, Bidwell—unlike many of his contemporaries—hired many of them and sought to protect them when the state of California later forced Native communities onto reservations. He also spoke publicly for the rights of Chinese immigrants, advocating for their fair treatment.

image by phb.cz, deposit photos

While General Bidwell took up many of Annie’s causes, she shared in his as well—becoming an amateur botanist.

General Bidwell died in 1900 at the age of 81. Annie lived until 1918. She never remarried.

The Bidwells had no children, so Annie left the land near Chico to the town her husband had founded. That land is now known as Bidwell Park. Her mansion served for a time as dormitories for a normal school, continuing her belief in public education. The home was acquired by the State of California in 1964. Sadly, on December 11, 2024, an arson fire destroyed the mansion.

Best-selling author Martha Hutchens is a history nerd who loves discovering new places and times to explore. She won the 2019 Golden Heart® for Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements. A former analytical chemist and retired homeschool mom, Martha occasionally finds time for knitting—when writing projects allow. Her debut novel, A Steadfast Heart, is now available.

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