Paradise sits on a ridge about 2,000 to 2,800 feet up, twelve miles east of Chico, and was incorporated as a town on November 27, 1979. Its story runs from Maidu summer camps and Gold Rush mining camps to apple orchards, and since the Camp Fire of November 8, 2018, to a town rebuilding under its own Long-Term Recovery Plan.
The Short Version
The Maidu spent summers and falls on the Ridge. Miners came after 1848, Dogtown (now Magalia) got a post office in 1857, and a 54-pound nugget turned up in 1859. The railroad arrived in 1904, orchards followed, and the town incorporated in 1979. After the 2018 fire, residents are rebuilding with a recovery plan they helped write.
| Year | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1848 | Maidu tribes make the Ridge their summer and fall home; Berry Creek near Pearson Road was a favorite camp. | Town of Paradise |
| 1849-1850 | Prospectors search the streams of every canyon along the Feather River, including Butte Creek. | Town of Paradise |
| 1857 | A post office opens in Dogtown. | Town of Paradise |
| 1859 | A 54-pound gold nugget is found, the Dogtown nugget. | Town of Paradise |
| 1889 | The Paradise Harvest Festival celebrates fruit and winter vegetables. | Town of Paradise |
| 1904 | Railroad service reaches the Ridge. | Town of Paradise |
| 1959 | The first Gold Nugget Days; held every year since. | Town of Paradise |
| Nov 27, 1979 | Paradise incorporates, as a “town” rather than a city. | Town of Paradise |
| Nov 8, 2018 | The Camp Fire changes the town forever; recovery begins. | Town of Paradise |
Before The Town
The Town of Paradise’s own history page says the first people of the Ridge were Maidu, who lived there in summer and fall. Gold brought miners after 1848; the town credits John Bidwell, who prospected toward the Feather River, with finding wealth at what became Bidwell’s Bar. Lumber mills ran in the 1850s and 1860s and families settled. The town notes its history comes from the book “This Paradise We Call Home” by Lois H. McDonald.
Related stories: How Paradise got its name, the Dogtown nugget and Johnny Appleseed Days. Both the Town and the Chamber date that festival to 1888 or 1889; see the festival page.
Orchards, Rails and a New Town
Railroad service began in 1904, and growers on the Ridge shipped apples, prunes and pears by rail. Once the Paradise Irrigation District could supply water in all but the worst droughts, a farm center formed to share the latest growing methods. The town says the population grew from 5,000 to over 20,000 in about 15 years before 1966, and after several votes residents chose to incorporate in 1979 as a “town,” not a city.
The Camp Fire, November 8, 2018
The Camp Fire started at 6:33 in the morning on November 8, 2018, near Pulga Road at Camp Creek Road by Jarbo Gap, and swept onto the Ridge that same day. By the time it was fully contained on November 25, after 17 days, it had burned 153,336 acres in Butte County. CAL FIRE counts 18,804 homes, businesses and other buildings destroyed and 754 damaged, and 85 people who lost their lives. CAL FIRE lists the cause as power lines.
Behind those numbers are families who lost homes they had grown up in, neighbors who lost each other, and a town that chose to stay. We remember the 85 people who died and everyone the fire displaced.
Source: CAL FIRE, Camp Fire incident page (read October 29, 2026).
After 2018: Rebuilding Paradise
“Forever changed by the Camp Fire on November 8, 2018, the Paradise community has bonded together to overcome hurdles and begin rebuilding our town,” the Town of Paradise writes. Its Long-Term Recovery Plan was written with residents through public meetings. The town lists the work under way: road repairs, a walkable downtown, better evacuation routes, public safety, and support for schools and the arts. One project, the Southeast Paradise Evacuation Route, will build a new two-lane road linking Edgewood Lane to Clark Road, the first phases of a planned 5-mile east-west route. You can follow progress on the town’s recovery page.
What is actually true: Nobody can prove it. The Town of Paradise tells it itself, but introduces it with the words “As a legend goes”: William Leonard and his mill crew, returning from a lumber delivery to the valley on a scorching day, sat under a tall pine and he said “boys, this is paradise.” The town places the naming around the 1850s and 1860s, when the mills started. Other naming stories exist; none is confirmed.
What is actually true: The Town of Paradise says Gold Nugget Days “celebrate finding a 54 – pound gold nugget in 1859,” the Dogtown nugget, and that the celebration has been held every year since 1959, in late April. Dogtown is today's Magalia, just up the Ridge.
Sources: Town of Paradise, Gold Nugget Days
Questions People Ask
When Did Paradise Become a Town?
November 27, 1979, per the Town of Paradise.
What Is The Dogtown Nugget?
A 54-pound gold nugget found in 1859, celebrated every late April at Gold Nugget Days.
How Is Paradise Rebuilding?
Under its Long-Term Recovery Plan, written with residents, covering roads, a walkable downtown, evacuation routes, public safety, schools and the arts (Town of Paradise).
How Far Is Paradise From Chico?
About twelve miles east, according to the town.
Still Unconfirmed
- Not confirmed Who actually named Paradise; the town itself calls the Leonard story a legend.
- Not confirmed The exact spot the Dogtown nugget was found; the town page we read does not say.
- Not confirmed Dates for the next Gold Nugget Days; the town says late April but has not posted the date on the page we read.
More Chico History
-
Oroville Gold Rush and The Chinese Temple
Bidwell Bar gold and the temple on Broderick Street, with today's hours.
-
Oroville Dam and Lake Oroville History
The tallest dam in the country, finished in 1967 on the Feather River.
-
Chico History Timeline
Around 50 dated moments from the Mechoopda village to the Reimagine Bidwell Mansion plan.
-
Chico Legends: True or Tall Tale?
Seven local stories, each checked against the record.
Sources
- Town of Paradise, Community (town history), read October 29, 2026.
- Town of Paradise, Gold Nugget Days, read October 29, 2026.
- Town of Paradise, Recovery, read October 29, 2026.
Cite this page: It's Chico, “Paradise and The Ridge: History and Rebuilding”, itschico.com/history/paradise-ridge/ (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.