Seven stories people tell about Chico, Oroville and the Ridge. Each one lives on a history page, where you can guess whether it is true and then open what the record actually says.
The Short Version
Some are true, some are half true, and one is called a legend by the town that tells it. Pick one, make your guess on its home page, then open the answer. Every answer names its source.
The Legends
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Bidwell Park History and The Robin Hood Story
Robin Hood Was Filmed in Bidwell Park
Errol Flynn's Sherwood Forest was really Chico's Lower Park. Believe it? Guess, then open the answer on its page.
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Bidwell Mansion
Bidwell Carried California's First Gold to Be Assayed
Chico's founder took the first gold sample to San Francisco. Believe it? Guess, then open the answer on its page.
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Chico State
The Campus Corners Are Marked by Cherry Trees
You can still trace Bidwell's orchard at Chico State. Believe it? Guess, then open the answer on its page.
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Oroville Gold Rush and The Chinese Temple
The Emperor of China Paid for Oroville's Temple
Money for the Broderick Street temple came from China's throne. Believe it? Guess, then open the answer on its page.
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Oroville Dam and Lake Oroville History
Oroville Dam Is The Tallest Dam in America
Taller than Hoover Dam. Believe it? Guess, then open the answer on its page.
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Paradise and The Ridge
Boys, This Is Paradise
A tired mill crew named the town from the shade of a pine. Believe it? Guess, then open the answer on its page.
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Paradise and The Ridge
A 54-Pound Gold Nugget Came Out of Dogtown
The Ridge's biggest find weighed as much as a sack of feed. Believe it? Guess, then open the answer on its page.
How We Check a Legend
We read the story where it is told, then look for the record behind it: a State Parks page, a city or town page, the Mechoopda Tribe's own history, the university, or a film catalog. If the record backs it, we say so. If only one source tells it, we say whose claim it is. If nobody can prove it, it stays a legend and we label it that way. We do not make up ghost stories.
More Chico History
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Bidwell Mansion: Where Chico Began
The 1868 house, John and Annie Bidwell, the 2024 fire and what you can visit now.
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Chico History Timeline
Around 50 dated moments from the Mechoopda village to the Reimagine Bidwell Mansion plan.
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Bidwell Park History and The Robin Hood Story
Annie Bidwell's 1905 gift and the 1937 Hollywood shoot by Big Chico Creek.
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Paradise and The Ridge: History and Rebuilding
Dogtown gold, the town's name and how Paradise is rebuilding after 2018.
Sources
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks, Bidwell Mansion SHP park brochure (2009, PDF), read October 29, 2026.
- California State University, Chico, Our History, read October 29, 2026.
- California Office of Historic Preservation, California Historical Landmark No. 770, Chinese Temple, read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks, Lake Oroville State Recreation Area page, read October 29, 2026.
- Town of Paradise, Community (town history), read October 29, 2026.
- Town of Paradise, Gold Nugget Days, read October 29, 2026.
Cite this page: It's Chico, “Chico Legends: True or Tall Tale?”, itschico.com/history/legends/ (updated ). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.