Hubert Howe Bancroft (b. May 1832) was born in Granville Ohio. Although he had little formal education, he secured a job as a bookstore clerk in Buffalo New York in his teens.

Catching “gold fever” he left for the west in 1852 to pursue his fortune. Failing at prospecting, he returned (like so many) to his first success and opened a bookstore in San Francisco. His shop is highly regarded for its focus on contemporary works like periodicals, sheet music, and “pulp” tales of fiction – and its custom printing business.

Bancroft’s real passion is an historian, researcher and romantic – he is one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject western migration from the Old Northwest through to the modern day, especially in his beloved California. His personal library is believed to the be largest single collection of emigrant stories and California history – including published volumes, gleanings from estate and private sales, and the results of his own researches.