In 1841, Bidwell became one of the first men to lead an emigrant party on the California Trail. The Bidwell family was originally from England and came to America in the colonial era. John Bidwell was born in Chautauqua County, New York on August 5, 1819. I have three Lights burning now but I am so tired and Blind that I can scarcely see and here I am among the French and Dutch and Scotch and Jews and Italians and Swedes and Chinese and Indians and all manner of tongues and nations but I am treated with due respect by them.”īallou Court in Folsom is named in her honor. All the light that I have shines through canvas that covers the House and my eyes are so dim that I can hardly see to make a mark so I think you will excuse me for not writing any better. Sometimes I am making mattresses and sheets. The People tell me that it is the first Soft Soap they knew made in California. I had twelve Dollars for making them so you see that I am making Flags with all rest of the various kinds of work that I am doing and then again I am scouring candlesticks and washing the floor and making soft soap. They are both swinging across the road but the Whig Flag is the richest. On October 11, she writes the following: “I washed in the forenoon and made a Democrat Flag in the afternoon sewed twenty yards of splendid worsted fringe around it and I made Whig Flag. Sometimes I am feeding my chickens and then again I am scaring the hogs out of my kitchen that chose to walk in, there being no door to shut from the kitchen to the dining room so the hogs and mules can walk in any time.” Three times a day I set my table which is about thirty feet in length and do all the little fixings like filling pepper boxes, vinegar cruets, mustard pots, and butter cups. Then sometimes I stuff a ham of pork that costs forty cents a pound. I make biscuits and Indian jonnycake and a minute pudding filled with raisins.
Sometimes I fry mince turnovers and donuts. Well, sometimes I wash and iron, sometimes I make mince, apple, and squash pies. This is a Boarding House kitchen…Now I will try to tell you what my work is at the Boarding House. “All the kitchen that I have is four posts stuck down into the ground and covered over the top with factory cloth and no floor but the ground. In a letter written to her son, she writes about life in California Negro Bar on October 30, 1852. While most of the “Forty-niners” who rushed to California went to pan gold, others, like Ballou and her husband, went to reap high profits by providing services to the miners.
Mary Ballou and her husband ran a boarding house in Negro Bar. Take a look back at the places and faces of Folsom’s past at the Folsom Flashbacks photo-sharing site. We also encourage you to learn more and explore Folsom’s rich history in Folsom’s Historic District, the Folsom History Museums, and Folsom Railroad Museum. Check back often, as new profiles will regularly be added. This website is dedicated to honoring the many contributions to the Folsom community. Remembering and sharing these stories from Folsom’s history binds us together as a community, anchors us to our roots, and teaches us valuable lessons as we plan for the future.
Over the years, countless individuals have left their mark on Folsom, and you can find their names around town- on park signs, street signs, and schools.
Many individuals have served this community with dedication and passion over the decades, and our community would not be where it is today without the vision, leadership, and commitment of past leaders, activists, and public servants. Folsom’s rich history began more than 160 years ago, and the city was incorporated in 1946. Folsom’s founders and pioneers were good stewards of the land, advocates for local business, and champions for opportunity. As a railroad hub and a gold rush town, Folsom was built on a foundation of innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit.
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