Hittell, John S. (John Shertzer), 1825-1901

J.S. Hittell was born December 25, 1825 in Jonestown, Lebanon County, Pa. His family moved to Hamilton, a town in Southwestern Ohio, in 1832. Hittell graduated from "Miami University" in 1843, and returned to Hamilton to practice law with the office of John Woods. In the spring of 1849, Hittell was in Ottawa, Illinois. On May 1, 1849 he left the bank of the Missouri River with a company of adventurers en route to California. They arrived at the Sacramento River on Sept. 19th. Hittell spent the winter of 1849 and 1850 at Reading's Diggings (Shasta County). In 1852, Hittell moved to San Francisco and in 1853 joined the editorial staff of the "Alta California", where he remained employed for the following 25 years. Hittell was the author of numerous books concerning California history, resources, and industries.

From the description of Autobiography and Reminiscence of John Shertzer Hittell (Deceased), 1901. (The Society of California Pioneers). WorldCat record id: 55979062