Bear Hole in Upper Bidwell Park in Chico. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

The crown jewel of Chico is easily Bidwell Park.

It was established in 1905. Since then the park has grown to 3,670 acres; and is about 11 miles long. The three sections—lower, middle, upper—are unique in their own right, with the former more urban, upper more rugged and the middle linking the other two.

The 45-mile-long Big Chico Creek runs through the park, adding to its beauty and recreational opportunities. This body of water starts at Colby Mountain near Butte Meadows and ends at the Sacramento River.

Chico History Museum on Sept. 12 hosted a free talk by historian Dave Nopel and author/educator Paul Belz.

Nopel stressed that what made the creation of this park unique is that it was established as a nature preserve.

It was Annie Bidwell, the widow of Chico’s founder John Bidwell, who donated the land in 1905.

“It was really a park before the Bidwells’ left it to the city of Chico,” Nopel said.

Annie Bidwell didn’t want any development in the park—or alcohol.

Nopel expounded on how “development” has been a point of contention ever since the city took possession because people have different definitions of what development means.

Two years after Annie Bidwell’s death in 1918 the golf course was built. To this day alcohol is still sold there.

Whether Annie is turning in her grave we will never know.

Other controversial issues have included cementing Sycamore Pool at 1 Mile in lower park, creating Caper Acres playground, Highway 99 being routed through the park, transmission lines, roads in the park, the observatory, shooting range, disc golf course and more.

Nopel touched on how the California Park housing development with its man-made lakes was a huge bone of contention because original plans were for it to abut Bidwell Park and have large estate homes on the south side of the creek. (California Park is the subject of a talk at the museum on Sept. 19.)

He said the project is what led him to attend his first city council meeting.

The outrage of local citizens convinced the city to buy the land in what is now part of Upper Park from the developer, but not before it went to court. The city didn’t want to pay the price the developer wanted, but the judge, according Nopel, said it had to because it was developable land.

Nopel said the price tag was about $3.5 million for the 1,600 acres that were added to Upper Bidwell Park.