The adobe home of William Ide at the William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park in Red Bluff, California.
Ide, a Massachusetts native, was a local judge in this northern part of the state. He wrote the proclamation that established the short-lived California Bear Republic in 1846. He was the republic's president while it lasted -- for 22 days! While the park memorializes Ide's role in early California history, recent research has shown he never owned the property. Contrary to the quiet, rural impression the park leaves today, the ranch's location near the California-Oregon Road and adjacent to the Sacramento River (important communication and transportation arteries) probably kept its residents well connected. During the Gold Rush and afterwards, a succession of pack-mule trains, travelers on foot, herds of cattle and sheep, freight wagons, stagecoaches and riverboats moved up and down the valley and along the river. The park today reflects the hard work it took to maintain life away from California's urban centers in the mid-19th century. Original image from Carol M. Highsmith’s America. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.