Homer F. Hastings

author

Homer F. Hastings

Best known for helping write a National Park Service handbook on Montezuma Castle, this little-known author focused on making the history of the American Southwest accessible to general readers. His surviving published work has the clear, practical feel of someone closely connected to public history and preservation.

1 Audiobook

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona (1977)

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona (1977)

by Albert H. Schroeder, Homer F. Hastings

About the author

Homer F. Hastings is credited as co-author, with Albert H. Schroeder, of Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona, a National Park Service historical handbook first published in 1958 and later reprinted. The book introduces readers to the cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle and the wider story of the Sinagua people, presenting archaeology and regional history in an approachable way.

Reliable online sources for Hastings are limited, so only a few personal details can be stated with confidence. Genealogy and memorial records identify him as Homer Francis Hastings, born in 1908 and died in 1998, and one memorial note describes him as superintendent of Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico. Taken together with his handbook work, that suggests a career tied to the National Park Service and the interpretation of historic sites in the Southwest.

Even though he is not widely profiled today, Hastings remains part of the tradition of mid-20th-century public historians who helped turn archaeological and historical research into readable guides for travelers, students, and park visitors.