author
John Francis Davis
1859–1930
A California writer and speaker with a deep love for the Pacific Coast's past, he wrote warmly and persuasively about preserving the region's history. His work captures an early 20th-century sense of pride in California and its story.
1 Audiobook
About the author
John Francis Davis was an American author best remembered for historical writing about California and the Pacific Coast. His known works include California, Romantic and Resourceful (1914), a book built from public addresses urging the collection and preservation of materials connected to the region's past.
He was also active as a public speaker in historical and civic circles. Records of his publications show him speaking at Monterey's Admission Day celebration and later addressing the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, where he continued to argue that California's history deserved careful attention and wider public appreciation.
Another of his works, The History of California (1915), identifies him as Grand President of the Native Sons of the Golden West. Taken together, his books read less like distant academic history and more like a passionate appeal to remember the people, places, and events that shaped California.