John S. (John Shertzer) Hittell

Born in Pennsylvania on December 25, 1825, and later active in California, John Shertzer Hittell was an American author, historian, and journalist best known as J. S. Hittell. He wrote widely about San Francisco, California history, mining, travel, and the development of the Pacific coast, building a reputation as a careful recorder of the region during the nineteenth century.

Hittell worked on the staff of the Alta California newspaper and published numerous books and articles. Among the works most often associated with him are A History of the City of San Francisco and The Resources of California. His writing was notably broad in scope: alongside history and regional subjects, he also wrote on religion, morality, politics, and freethought.

He died in San Francisco on March 8, 1901. Today, he is remembered as one of the writers who helped document California while it was rapidly transforming, leaving behind books that remain useful to readers interested in the state’s early public life, economy, and culture.