The landmark home of a California family was destroyed by fire. Now a city reckons with its painful history

The Bidwell mansion, a pink 26 -room Victorian building dating to 1865 , was one of the oldest buildings in the region.

In its heyday, it had hosted 19th-century luminaries such as Susan B Anthony , President Rutherford B Hayes , Gen William T Sherman and John Muir .

For some, it served as a reminder of the painful history of colonization and genocide of the Mechoopda.

California ’s first governor in 1851 pledged that a “war of extermination” would continue “until the Indian race becomes extinct” Gavin Newsom in 2019 apologized for the genocide against Indigenous people that killed as many as 16,000 people in the state.

In 1863 , following a spate of violence in the area, white settlers ordered the expulsion of all Indigenous people.

Bidwell argued against such actions, and when compromise failed he asked for workers on his land to be spared.

The Bidwell mansion was in the middle of a $ 2.3 m restoration project when it caught fire.

Kevin Carlson , 30 , has been charged with arson in connection with the fire.

He allegedly used an incendiary device to start the fire inside the mansion.

He pleaded no contest to the charge and will be sentenced next month .