author
Walter Colton
1797–1851
A naval chaplain, journalist, and public official, he wrote with a firsthand feel for the turbulent early years of American California. His work blends travel writing, observation, and lived experience in a way that still feels vivid.
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About the author
Walter Colton was an American clergyman and writer born in 1797 in Vermont. Before becoming known for his books, he worked in journalism and later served as a chaplain in the United States Navy, experiences that gave much of his writing its direct, observant style.
He is especially remembered for his role in Monterey during the Mexican-American War era, when he served as the first American alcalde, or mayor, of the town. He also helped publish The Californian, widely noted as California's first newspaper, and drew on these years in his best-known historical writing about the region.
Colton wrote several books, including Ship and Shore, A Visit to Constantinople and Athens, Deck and Port, and Three Years in California. He died in 1851, but his work remains valuable for readers interested in early California, naval life, and 19th-century American travel writing.