Theodore H. Hittell

Theodore H. Hittell
Theodore H. Hittell
Born	April 5, 1830 Jonestown, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, USA
Died	February 23, 1917 San Francisco, California, USA
Occupation	Author, historian
Relatives	John Shertzer Hittell (brother) Carlos Hittell (son)

Theodore Henry Hittell (1830-1917) was a historian, state senator, and writer. He is known for his histories of California as well as his association with John "Grizzly" Adams.

Life and career

Association with John "Grizzly" Adams

During Grizzly Adams' exhibition of his grizzly bears and other trained animals in San Francisco, he was working with Hittell from July 1857 until December 1859. Hittell listened to Adams narrate his adventures almost daily for an hour or so and took careful notes, cross-questioning Adams to assure he had it straight. Adams knew, and was apparently flattered by the fact Mr. Hittell intended to write a book based upon Adams' talks. Also, during this time, the artist Charles C. Nahl took an interest in Adams' grizzlies and, working with Hittell, prepared illustrations (one of which is at the head of this article) that would be used in Hittell's forthcoming book. One of his paintings eventually became the model for the grizzly bear on California's state flag. In 1860, after Adams had relocated to New York, Theodore H. Hittell published his book, The Adventures of James Capen Adams, Mountaineer and Grizzly Bear Hunter of California, in San Francisco, and then later that year, in Boston.

Association with John Muir

Theodore Hittell fourth from right and John Muir far right.

Hittell had a close relationship and correspondence with John Muir.

Comparison to Hubert H. Bancroft

In an article in the California Historical Quarterly, "Theodore H. Hittell and Hubert H. Bancroft: Two Western Historians", Robert W. Righter compares the two historians. The two were somewhat antagonistic toward each other. Hittel thought that H. H. Bancroft gave too much of the writing of The Works over to assistants. For instance, H. H. Bancroft's assistant, Henry L. Oaks, wrote five of the seven volumes of H. H. Bancroft's "History of California". H. H. Bancroft disparaged the lack of extensive scholarship in Hittell's "History of California". Modern historians view T. H. Hittell as being more literary, while H. H. Bancroft is more scholarly.

Time as a California State Senator

When the Constitution of California was adopted in 1879, Mr. Hittell became greatly interested in State politics. He was elected as State Senator from San Francisco and served during 1880–82.

Bibliography

• Theodore Henry Hittell (1861). The Adventures of James Capen Adams: Mountaineer and Grizzly Bear Hunter, of California. Crosby, Nichols, Lee.
• Theodore Henry Hittell (1898). History of California. Vol. 1. N.J. Stone. ISBN 9781404750487.
• Theodore Henry Hittell (1885). History of California. Vol. 2. N.J. Stone.
• Theodore Henry Hittell (1898). History of California. Vol. 3. N. J. Stone.
• Theodore Henry Hittell (1898). History of California. Vol. 4. N. J. Stone.
• Theodore Henry Hittell (1893). George Bancroft and His Services to California: Memorial Address, Delivered May 12, 1891, Before the California Historical Society. California Historical Society.
• Mrs. T. H. Hittell (1893). "California Pictographs and Hieroglyphics". Science. 21 (528): 146–47. doi:10.1126/science.ns-21.528.146. JSTOR 1765599. PMID 17833335.
• Royce, Josiah (1898). "Review of History of California". The American Historical Review. 4 (1): 184–86. doi:10.2307/1832352. JSTOR 1832352.
• Gatschet, A. S. (1886). "Theodore H. Hittell's History of California". The American Naturalist. 20 (10): 871–73. doi:10.1086/274346. JSTOR 2450751.

External links

• Finding Aid The Papers of Theodore Hittell at the Online Archives of California held at the Sutro Library San Francisco, CA
• Hittell Family Papers, 1869–1922. California State Library, California History Room.