48 dated moments in the history of Chico and the towns around it, from 1828 to 2026, each with the primary source it comes from. Chico itself was laid out in 1860; the Mechoopda were here long before.
The Short Version
Five eras: Mechoopda country and the Mexican ranchos; the Gold Rush and the founding of Chico; the Bidwells' town; the college, park and dam years; and the recent decades of recognition, recovery and rebuilding. Dates come from State Parks, the Mechoopda Tribe, CSU Chico, the City of Chico, the City of Oroville, the Town of Paradise and the AFI Catalog.
Before 1848: Mechoopda Country and The Ranchos
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1828 | Mechoopda village stands on Little Butte Creek, about 3 1/2 miles south of today's downtown Chico. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria |
| 1828 | Jedediah Smith likely becomes the first non-Indian to pass through Mechoopda country. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| 1833 | An epidemic thought to be malaria sweeps the northern Sacramento Valley. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| 1841 | John Bidwell, 22, crosses the Sierra Nevada to California. | California State Parks |
| Fall 1845 | Rancho Arroyo Chico is granted to William Dickey; Bidwell later buys it. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
1848 to 1867: Gold, a Rancho and a New Town
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1848 | Gold is found on the American River in January; that summer Bidwell finds gold near the Middle Fork of the Feather River. | California State Parks |
| 1849 | Bidwell buys Rancho Arroyo Chico; most Mechoopda move onto the ranch and work it. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| Aug 1, 1851 | Headmen of nine tribal communities, including Luck-y-an of the Mechoopda, sign a treaty at Bidwell's ranch. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| July 8, 1852 | The U.S. Senate secretly rejects the California treaties. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| 1857 | Dogtown, now Magalia, gets a post office. | Town of Paradise |
| 1859 | The 54-pound Dogtown nugget is found. | Town of Paradise |
| 1860 | Bidwell helps lay out the town of Chico and names it. | California State Parks |
| 1863 | Oroville's Chinese Temple is dedicated in the spring (the City of Oroville gives 1873). | California Office of Historic Preservation |
| 1863 | Some 461 people leave Camp Bidwell on a forced march to Round Valley; 277 arrive. Most Mechoopda are not removed. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| 1865-1866 | Bidwell serves in the U.S. Congress. | California State Parks |
1868 to 1918: The Bidwells' Chico
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| April 16, 1868 | John Bidwell and Annie Kennedy marry in Washington, D.C. | California State Parks |
| 1868 | Bidwell Mansion is completed. | California State Parks |
| 1868 | The Mechoopda village moves to its final site, later the Chico Rancheria. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria |
| 1870 | Railroad tracks run through the rancho and the town. | California State Parks |
| 1887 | Bidwell gives eight acres of cherry orchard for the State Normal School. | California State University |
| 1889 | The Normal School opens with 90 students. | California State University |
| 1895 | Annie Bidwell establishes a church in the village. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| 1900 | John Bidwell dies. | California State Parks |
| 1904 | Railroad service reaches Paradise. | Town of Paradise |
| July 20, 1905 | Annie Bidwell gives about 2,500 acres for Bidwell Park. | City of Chico |
| 1918 | Annie Bidwell dies. | California State Parks |
1919 to 1971: College Town, Park Town, Dam Town
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | The school becomes Chico State Teachers College. | California State University |
| 1922 | The city buys Cedar Grove for Bidwell Park. | City of Chico |
| 1923 | The Normal School buys Bidwell Mansion. | California State Parks |
| 1927 | Fire destroys the Normal Building. | California State University |
| 1935 | Chico State College is named; Oroville's Chinese residents deed the temple to the city. | California State University |
| Fall 1937 | The Adventures of Robin Hood films in Bidwell Park for six weeks. | AFI Catalog of Feature Films |
| 1939 | The United States takes the Rancheria land into federal trust. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| 1949 | Oroville's Chinese Temple first opens to the public. | City of Oroville |
| 1959 | Paradise holds its first Gold Nugget Days. | Town of Paradise |
| Jan 31, 1962 | The Chinese Temple becomes California Historical Landmark No. 770. | California Office of Historic Preservation |
| 1964 | California State Parks acquires Bidwell Mansion. | California State Parks |
| 1967 | Oroville Dam is completed after five years of construction. | California State Parks |
1972 to Today: University, Recovery and Renewal
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The college becomes California State University, Chico. | California State University |
| Nov 27, 1979 | Paradise incorporates as a town. | Town of Paradise |
| 1992 | The Mechoopda become a federally recognized tribe again. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| 1995 | Chico adds 1,200 acres to Upper Bidwell Park. | City of Chico |
| 2003 | The Mechoopda Tribe acquires 650 acres south of Chico. | Mechoopda Indian Tribe |
| Nov 8, 2018 | The Camp Fire; Paradise begins rebuilding under its Long-Term Recovery Plan. | Town of Paradise |
| Dec 11, 2024 | Fire severely damages Bidwell Mansion. | California State Parks news release |
| Sept 5, 2025 | State Parks launches Reimagine Bidwell Mansion. | California State Parks news release |
| Aug 7, 2026 | The Bidwell Mansion visitor center reopens for weekly hours. | California State Parks news release |
| Oct 25, 2026 | Public open house on the mansion's future. | California State Parks news release |
Still Unconfirmed
- Not confirmed The day Annie Bidwell gave Bidwell Park: the City of Chico says July 20, 1905; other accounts say July 10.
- Not confirmed The year Oroville's Chinese Temple was built: 1863 (State of California) or 1873 (City of Oroville).
- Not confirmed Oroville Dam's formal dedication date; State Parks gives only the 1967 completion year.
More Chico History
-
Bidwell Mansion: Where Chico Began
The 1868 house, John and Annie Bidwell, the 2024 fire and what you can visit now.
-
Chico State: From Normal School to University
Eight acres of cherry orchard in 1887, 90 students in 1889.
-
Bidwell Park History and The Robin Hood Story
Annie Bidwell's 1905 gift and the 1937 Hollywood shoot by Big Chico Creek.
-
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.
-
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.
- City of Chico, About Bidwell Park, read October 29, 2026.
- California State University, Chico, Our History, read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks, Lake Oroville State Recreation Area page, read October 29, 2026.
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, History, read October 29, 2026.
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe, Euro-American Contact, read October 29, 2026.
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe, Life on Rancho Arroyo Chico, read October 29, 2026.
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe, Rebirth, read October 29, 2026.
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe, Policy of Removal, read October 29, 2026.
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe, Treaties, read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks news release, December 11, 2024, read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks news release, September 5, 2025 (Reimagine Bidwell Mansion), read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks news release, July 31, 2026 (visitor center reopens), read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks news release, October 5, 2026 (open house), read October 29, 2026.
- California Office of Historic Preservation, California Historical Landmark No. 770, Chinese Temple, read October 29, 2026.
- City of Oroville, Chinese Temple facility page, read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks, Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park page, read October 29, 2026.
- California State Parks, Bidwell Mansion SHP park brochure (2009, PDF), read October 29, 2026.
- 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, “Chico History Timeline”, itschico.com/history/timeline/ (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.