The Biographical Dictionary of America/Bancroft, Hubert Howe

BANCROFT, Hubert Howe, historian, was born in Granville, Ohio, May 5, 1832, son of Ashley and Lucy (Howe) Bancroft. His ancestors immigrated to America from England two centuries previously and settled in Connecticut, whence his father removed to Ohio. He devoted some time in preparing for college, but in his sixteenth year decided to enter business life, and was employed by his brother-in-law, a bookseller in Buffalo, N. Y. In 1851 he joined his father, who was mining in California, and remained there nearly four years, accumulating sufficient money to enable him to establish himself in San Francisco as a bookseller and stationer, afterwards adding publishing, printing and bookbinding departments. The business soon extended from Canada to Mexico, and branches were established in Hawaii, China and Japan. As early as 1859 Mr. Bancroft determined to make use of the vast amount of valuable historical material which would eventually be lost sight of for want of a recorder to put it into readable shape. At first his intention was to produce a comprehensive history of California, but his researches led him to enlarge his plans, and to make a history which should embrace the western half of North America, including all of Mexico and Central America. He travelled throughout Europe and America in search of material, and established agencies in all the principal cities. Hundreds of living witnesses to the early history of the coast were interviewed, government and family archives were searched, and thousands of stray documents were collected and filed. The first results of this vast amount of labor was "The native Races of the Pacific States of North America" in five volumes, the last of which appeared in 1876. His "History of the Pacific States of North America" (34 vols., 1882-'90), comprises the following, each volume complete in itself: "Central America," vols. 1-3; "Mexico," 4-9; "North Mexican States and Texas," 10-11; "Arizona and New Mexico," 12; "California," 13-19; "Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming," 20; "Utah," 21; "The Northwest Coast," 22-23; "Oregon," 24-25; "Washington, Idaho, and Montana," 26; "British Columbia," 27; "Alaska," 28; "California Pastoral," 29; "California Interpocula, " 30; "Popular Tribunals," 31-32; "Essays and Miscellanies." 33; "Literary Industries," 34. He is also the author of "A Brief Account of the Literary Undertakings of Hubert Howe Bancroft" (1882); "History of Utah, 1540-1887" (1890); "Chronicles of the Builders of the Commonwealth" (6 vols., 1891-'92); "Resources and Development of Mexico" (1893): and "The Book of the Fair."