Original 22,214 and 40 700s. Five stories and up to 26 rooms, it the mansion was originally constructed from 1865 to 1868. The style of architecture that we see today is referred to that referred to as italian villa. There are a number of potential excavations for wide they chose this particular style of architecture. Being a mediterranean climate here and that this was structured was constructed before conveniences like electricity and airconditioning, he wanted to be evil to cool this house down as quickly as possible during the summer months. You may notice very tall ceilings on the first floor. That was intended to allow the heat to rise. On the second floor, there are 12 foot ceilings and on the third floor, the ceilings are angled to direct the heat. The walls of the mansion are one foot thick hollow brick walls believed to act as a layer of insulation to further keep the home cool or warm depending on the time of year. The home is also equipped with eight cold eight cold burning fireplaces to act as heaters throughout the mansion. Immediately falls in love with the location. Several years down the road and a gold rush in california, he has obtained the financial means to be able to purchase chico from his Business Partner and associate, william dickey. Acres and 4022,214 700s of another for just over 11,000. Originally, if you were inquiring or a plot of land or perhaps a job on the ranch, this is the room you may have been shown. Map, we have a sketch of rancho, originally landgrants this into separate installments or payments totaling just over 11,000. Over the course of purchasing this land, he elected to the California State Senate and in 1850, he actually leaves to affirmton, d. C. To california as part of the United States of america. In october of 1850, he travels to San Francisco and delivers the news of california becoming part of the new 90 states of the United States of america. In 1878, roughly 18 years after the city of chico is founded, he donates the original acres for the chico the Normal School to beasts to be founded. It is the second oldest csu in the state of california. We are arguably in the most interesting room of the mansion, the library. It is home to a faster rate of original items including the bookcases themselves, roughly 80 of the literature within, the native american artifacts, and the chinese good luck tapestry in the corner of the library. The quality of literature that is seen within this room is not something that would have been considered typical for the average household. This offers a great insight into the lives and minds of the family. Thanks to the history of womens suffrage, you can see that they were both fairly involved in the womens suffrage movement. It the wifeony and were very close friends. When he runs for president in 1892, he openly comes out and says i will help earn the womens right to vote and i will make alcohol illegal. Ofitems of a jurist interest are pieces of literature on agriculture and natural resources. He was an experimental farmer at heart, very invested in the development of california agriculture. He viewed california as a breadbasket thickets applied the United States of america with each of their agricultural needs. It is believed that the relationship of john bidwell was a happy one. And his wifey outlives him by 18 years in the below mentioned. Though living alone in the mansion, she is a force to be reckoned with. In charge of running the Agricultural Operations in the as will mansion as well managing over 20,000 acres of land. Due to having never had children of their own, at the time of her death in 1918, the remaining small portions of land as well as the mansion is deeded to the church. Descendents of family as well as the church and Chico Normal School also receive small items or handfuls of items in the will of any bidwell of Annie Bidwell. I hope the visitors leave with a better understanding of the fact that john and Annie Bidwell played a role in the towns heritage but the development of the state of california and the heritage of the state we get to enjoy. Staff cities tour recently traveled to chico, california to learn more about its its rich history. Learn more about other stops on our. Tour at cspan. Org t you are watching cspan three. On lectures in history, university of chicago professor jonathan levy teaches a class on the great recession, 20072009. The worst crisis in the u. S. Since the Great Depression in the 1930s. He traces the origins of the crisis to the late 1990s stockmarket boom and bust, and looks at how the Housing Market of the 2000s mimic the same patterns. He also talks about the exotic Financial Instruments developed during the time. The practice of banks using overnight shortterm credit markets to stay afloat and the unprecedented actions taken by the Federal Reserve to rescue the economy after the collapse. S