World Famous Author Succumbs. Theodore Henry Hittell has died in his California home. Mr Hittell is best known for his works on the History of the West and California History. His most recent works just published in 1916 was a voluminous "History of Hawaii" He was friends with "Grizzly Adams".

It was on April 5, in this year of 1830, that Theodore H.
Hittell was born, in Marietta, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
As would naturally be expected of one of his strong and versa-
tile character, his ancestors were sturdy, thrifty and solid
people. His paternal great grandfather, Peter Hittel, was a
Protestant, brought up in Rhenish Bavaria, and driven into
exile by religious persecution. He, with a brother, escaped
into Holland, thence coming to America in 1720, and settled
down in Upper Milford Township, in Lehigh County, Penn-
sylvania, w^here he passed the remainder of his life as a farmer.
He was successful, progressive and energetic, and was a force-
ful, and useful member of the community.

Peter's son, Nicholas Hittel, the grandfather of Theodore,
remained on the farm in Upper Milford Township. He was a
man of prodigious physical strength, and was an industrious
and successful farmer, and, it is said, came to be regarded by
his neighbors as a sage. He married Susanna de Vesqueau,
or Wesco, as the family name was later called. Her father,
Francis de Vesqueau, was a French Huguenot, and was driven
by religious persecution from his home in Alsace, and came by
way of Holland to Pennsylvania. He and his two sons served
in the American Revolution, Francis being in the Second
Battalion, Second Company of Northampton County, Penn-
sylvania. Nicholas Hittel also served in the American Revo-
lution in the Northampton County Militia, from 1778 to 1782.
The family of Nicholas and Susanna consisted of eleven
children.

Jacob Hittel was the eighth son and the last child of Nicho-
las. He was the father of Theodore and was as remarkable a
man as his son. He was brought up as a farmer's boy, and at
fifteen years of age, he could speak only in Pennsylvania Ger-
man. He hungered for an education and began attendance at
an English school. This was three miles and a half from his
home, and he walked to school and back every day, whatever

the weather or the condition of the roads. When sixteen years
old, he walked to Philadelphia, a distance of forty-seven and a
half miles, to go to a better school. He found a good family
where he worked each half day for his board, and went to
school the other half day. He bought an English dictionary,
which he studied incessantly. In carrying out his steadfast pur-
pose, he would work and save until he had accumulated a small
sum of money; theniie would devote himself to school until
the money was exhausted. Thus, by intense industry and un-
remitting frugality, he acquired a good English education.
When he was twenty years old, he decided to become a phy-
sician, and began studying in the office of Drs. Benjamin and
James Green, at Quakerstown, Pennsylvania. The next year,
he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Philadel-
phia, but at the end of two years his funds were exhausted.
In those days, it was the custom of medical students, if they so
desired and felt competent, to enter upon practice before final
graduation ; and therefore, in his twenty-third year, the young
doctor opened an office at Segersville, Lehigh County. This
same year he married Catherine Shertzer, of Millerstown. Her
ancestors came from Germany, and settled in Pennsylvania,
and were successful and influential people. Catherine Shertzer
became the mother of Theodore Hittell. She lived to be over
ninety years old. She was an unusual woman, of great per-
sonal charm and intellectual gifts, and her son always spoke of
her with a keenness of appreciation that denoted the greatest
of affection.

The newly married couple settled down in Segersville, where,
due to his energy and ability, supplemented by the popularity
of his accomplished wife, Jacob Hittell gained at once a large
practice ; so that in less than a year, he had accumulated enough
money for his final year in the Philadelphia college. Thus,
when about twenty-four years old, he received his medical
diploma from what was then perhaps the most prominent in-
stitution of its kind in the United States.

After practicing in several small towns in that region, he re-
moved, in 1825, to Marietta, in Lancaster County. Remaining
there five years, he was attracted by the prospects of success
in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. These states were then becom-
ing a magnet, like California in later times. The fertility of soil,
beauty of scenery and cheapness of public lands were drawing

many pioneers to this "new West." Therefore, in 1831, Dr.
Jacob Hitteh started for Illinois with his wife and three chil-
dren ; but because of the health of his youngest child, Theodore,
he changed the destination, and settled in the famous Miami
Valley, at Trenton, Ohio. From the beginning he was suc-
cessful and his increasing practice induced him to remove to
the more important town of Hamilton, about ten miles dis-
tant, and a few miles north of Cincinnati. This became the
permanent family home, and so remained for thirty-four
years. Here Dr. Jacob Hittell's professional skill, activity in
business investments and energy in public matters made him a
very prominent and influential citizen. Realizing his own
tremendous difficulties in obtaining an education, he took a
special interest in the public school and the Female Academy
at Hamilton, and assisted and encouraged his children in ob-
taining a good education.

Thus, though born in Pennsylvania, Theodore Hittell's
conscious life began in Hamilton, Ohio, he being only a year
old at the time of the family removal. At the earliest possible
age he was sent to school, because it was an understood rule
in the family that each child was to be given the best educa-
tion attainable in the country, and should be obliged, unless
prevented by sickness, to keep on steadily at work in acquiring
it. The boy w^as "father of the man," and his studies were
characterized by great industry and thoroughness. All his
life, he made it a rule to carry out to a finish what he had
once begun, and to do everything in the very best manner it
was possible for him to do it. Concentration on the work in
hand and carrying it to completeness were among the most
marked secrets of his success in life. He early became a
"prize pupil" in algebra, geometry and trigonometry. He was
handy with tools and very ingenious; he also worked in his
father's drug store, where he learned considerable about the
technical parts of the business. At about fifteen years of age
he was sent to a Catholic school, then to a select school to
study Latin and Greek. Meantime he had read many books,
and all of them he "chewed and digested." His boyhood was
pleasant and happy, and very busy. Though absorbed in his
work, none turned to amusement and recreation with more
zest than he.

In 1845, at the age of fifteen years, he entered Oxford
College, afterwards known as Miami University. Here he
had the usual studies of Latin and Greek, and mathematics.
Characteristically he applied himself devotedly to his books,
and became especially proficient in mathematics. He joined
a literary society, but as he had no idea of ever becoming a
public speaker, his activity was confined to written addresses
on literary subjects. He read indefatigably, especially history
and biography. He left the college because of the students'
"snowball rebellion" against the faculty, which rebellion vir-
tually caused the temporary ruin of the institution.

From there he went to Center College, at Danville, Ken-
tucky, where he stayed during his junior year. He was not
satisfied with the educational advantages of the institution and
determined to go to Yale College, where he achieved the un-
usual distinction of gaining admittance to the senior class of
Yale from the junior class of a small western college; due
largely to his proficiency in mathematics and originality in
working out theorems and problems. In 1849 he graduated
from Yale College with the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

He was now nineteen years of age. In the following year
he began reading law in the ofiice of Charles Fox, at Cin-
cinnati, and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1852.

He had now earned and won a good education and admis-
sion to the profession of the law. He was in his twenty-third
year, in perfect health, with an upright and incorruptible
character, a widely varied and valuable experience, and a
trained and industrious mind. For several years he practiced
law at Hamilton, Ohio, but the life became irksome to him.
His father, and all of his ancestors, were pioneers, and the
call of his inheritance was strong in his veins. His brother
John had come to California in 1849, and Theodore could not
longer resist the lure of the Golden West. On October 5,
1855, he came from New York to San Francisco by way of
the Isthmus of Panama. Thus, in her early history, did Cali-
fornia feverishly dig her gold, which was her supposed only
treasure, and send it to the East, to be rewarded by the return
of far more priceless treasures — resolute, virile citizens.

Upon reaching San Francisco, Mr. Hittell plunged into the
life of one of the strangest, busiest and most romantic cities

on the face of the earth. Twenty years before, Yerba Buena
was not even a village, and had no existence. Nine years be-
fore, Yerba Buena had started on its career and had two hun-
dred people. Eight years previously, the name was changed to
San Francisco. The discovery of gold created a city almost
overnight, and San Francisco now had a population of 50,000.
Five great fires had successively destroyed it, but the build-
ings were now more numerous and enduring than ever. In
such a seething mass of gold seekers, adventurers and real
pioneers there were inevitably mingled much lawlessness and
crime. At least a hundred murders had been committed in
the previous year without a single execution. It was not safe
to walk the streets after dark, while by day and night incen-
diarism and burglary were common. Allied with this indi-
vidual crime was political corruption. Though the city had
been partially purged by the Vigilance Committee of 1851, the
baser elements were again in control. As usual in modern
times, the good men did not vote and the bad men never
failed to vote. In his History of California Hittell phrased
the situation thus : "There probably had never been in the
United States a deeper depth of political degredation reached
than in San Francisco in 1854 and 1855." In spite of bad
government and prevalent crime, nothing was able to prevent
the town from forging ahead. The golden stream from the
mines, the dawning realization of the immensely varied agri-
cultural resources of the State, the first fruits of foreign com-
merce, revealed to the sagacious eyes of the pioneers the
splendid destiny of this city and State. These good citizens
could not yet control the development of the civic and mate-
rial resources ; but they .were dazzled by the vision of the
future, and hopefully consecrated their souls and ene'-gies to
the building up of the new community.

When he started for California from the East, Mr. Hit-
tell intended to go to the mines. As soon as he reached San
Francisco, and saw its activities and gauged its prospects, he
was easily convinced by his advisers that this city should be
the theatre of his future career. Though a thoroughly edu-
cated lawyer, he seems at first to have avoided the practice
of his profession, and with his literary tastes and training he
naturally gravitated towards the newspaper business. The

financial failures of the year before, and the speculative trans-
actions of each busy and exciting day, resulted in an im-
mense amount of litigation. News from the outside world
was scant, and except for world events of sensational magni-
tude the people depended for their news on local happenings
and the developments of the courts. In consequence, the local
editors of the newspapers were of unique importance, and the
court news was greatly sought after by the public. Mr. Ilit-
tell began by reporting law news for a German paper pub-
lished in San Francisco. His previous training now became
of great value. The accuracy of his reports, the inclusion of
all of the essential points of a judge's decision, the fidelity to
facts, soon attracted the attention of the editor of the "Bul-
letin." This paper was founded by James King of William
in the latter part of 1855, and by its fearlessness in attacking
criminals and dishonest men in public life, and by its decency
and vigor, in a short time reached the distinction of being the
leading newspaper in the city. Mr. Hittell soon became the
law reporter for the Bulletin and was such at the time of the
assassination of James King of William and the revival of
the famous Vigilance Committee in 1856. Though not per-
sonally a member of the Vigilance Committee, he was their
staunch supporter, their reliable chronicler. He logically be-
came the local editor of the Bulletin, which was a position of
great responsibility and importance during these stirring
times. He prided himself upon the accuracy of his columns,
and no news was printed that was not true and trustworthy.

He retained his connection with the Bulletin until 1860.
The rising tide of disunion had brought California actively
into the national contest. In the State were many of South-
ern birth or with Southern sympathies, of great energy, re-
sources and influence. Mighty and successful efforts were
made to keep California in the Union. These were the his-
toric days of Baker, Broderick and Starr King. For a year
previous and during the first part of Lincoln's campaign, Mr.
Hittell was the local editor of the San Francisco Times. He
was very patriotic in sentiment, an ardent Union man, and
gave valiant service for the cause of human liberty.

During this period, on June 12, 1858, he married Mis?
Elise Christine Wiehe. She was the daughter of Dr. Carl

Wiehe, of Goedens, in the northeast corner of Germany. Dr.
Wiehe was chief surgeon on the staff of Field Marshal
Bliicher, and was present at the battle of Waterloo. The
daughter left Germany on account of the events of 1848, and
came to California on a sailing vessel by way of Cape Horn.
It is said that she trimmed and introduced the first Christ-
mas tree in San Francisco. After her marriage, she took
much interest in Science, and with Mrs. Brandegee and Miss
Rita Haggan was among the first women members of the
California Academy of Sciences. She was one of the found-
ers of the San Francisco Foundling Asylum. She also
founded the Silk Culture Society of California. She actively
urged the establishment of manual training schools. She was
one of the pioneers in advocating the organizing of a museum
in San Francisco. She was interested in the preservation of
the Indian picture writings found in California, and wrote
an article on the subject for "Science" magazine. Her last
published article was on Pasteur, in "Science." She died
in 1900.

Mr. and Mrs. Hittell had four children, of whom three
are now living: Catherine Hermanna, Charles Jacob and
Franklin Theodore. They were all born at the old home at
726 Folsom street, in this city.