Haunting of Bidwell Mansion*

It's surprising how many people have lived in Chico for years (or their entire lives) without taking the tour of Bidwell Mansion.  On a recent flight from San Francisco to Chico, my mom befriended a young woman from China.  It was Song Shuai's first visit to our fair city, so we decided to give her the "Chico Tour."  Now, a proper Chico tour must include Bidwell Mansion, the magnificent, romantic 10,000 s.f., three-story Italianate style home built by Chico founder John Bidwell in 1868 at a cost of $56,600.

Some of the more interesting artifacts in the mansion are the framed "hair wreaths" displayed in the parlor. "Hairwork" was a popular craft during the Victorian era, using human hair (usually from family members) to create jewelry and other objects.  Wreaths were often made as memorials to deceased relatives (known as "Mourning Wreaths") and were usually mounted on silk and framed behind glass in shadow boxes.  (We have a brooch in our family supposedly made from the hair of my great-great grandmother.  When I first saw it, I was surprised to see it was nearly an exact match of my hair color!)

*The "Haunting of" blog title was inspired by a photo I took during our tour inside the mansion. Click here to view the Flickr photo album and see whether you can find the "ghost."

If you've never taken the tour (or even if you have), I highly recommend it.  It takes less than an hour and only costs a few bucks.  The Visitor Center also has actual letters, photos and journals on display.  I've taken the tour at least six times and learn new things about the Bidwells and Chico every time I go.


Trivia note:  Some of the interior scenes from The Thin Man were shot inside the mansion.