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The name Bancroft likely recognizes Hubert Howe Bancroft (1832-1918), another prominent San Franciscan. He came west in 1852 from Ohio, following his father, who left to pan for gold in 1850. But Hubert did not pursue mining. He set up a bookstore in San Francisco. The 1861 San Francisco directory described H.H. Bancroft & Co. as \u201cimporters and jobbers books and stationery.\u201d Bancroft left the bookselling business to his brother, Albert, in 1868 in order to focus his attention on writing, compiling and publishing histories of the West. By this time, Hubert had accumulated a vast library of historical material which continued to grow. In 1905, the University of California, Berkeley, purchased Bancroft\u2019s 60,000-volume collection of books, maps and other documents.<\/p>\n
Bancroft had multiple connections to San Diego, although he lived and operated his businesses in San Francisco for much of his adult life. The 1873 City of San Diego Lot Book recorded H.H. Bancroft as the owner of 34 lots in Middletown, two whole blocks in Horton\u2019s Addition, and two whole blocks in Taggart\u2019s Addition. In 1886, he had a four-story commercial building constructed at the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and G Street. The Bancroft building survives in a reduced one-story state at 665 Fifth Avenue.<\/p>\n
In 1885, he bought a ranch with an adobe cottage built in 1863 in Spring Valley from Rufus King Porter. The Bancroft Ranch House is now operated as a historic house museum by the Spring Valley Historical Society. Their website at svhistoricalsociety.org features many fascinating historical photos and notes the following about preservation of the ranch and structures:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in getting the adobe designated California State Historic Landmark No. 626 in 1958, changing the name from the \u2018Porter adobe\u2019 to the \u2018Bancroft Ranch House.\u2019 On March, 24, 1963 \u2014 just short of 100 years after being built \u2014 the newly restored adobe was opened as a museum. The Spring Valley Historical Society was founded in April of that year and became the manager of the property, later purchasing the adobe and a portion of the land in 1967. The Society has been dedicated ever since to preserving the history of the Spring Valley area. The museum is located at 9050 Memory Lane (off Bancroft Dr.); admission is free.\u201d<\/p>\n
The property is also on the National Register of Historic Places.<\/p>\n
The 1901 San Diego City Directory listed Hubert H. Bancroft, his wife Matilda, son Griffing and daughter Lucy living at \u201cFir SE cor 4th.\u201d That location is now a parking lot. Griffing, an attorney, remained in San Diego until his death in 1955, while his father returned to San Francisco around 1905.<\/p>\n
When Hubert H. Bancroft died on March 2, 1918, newspapers far and wide from the Hawaiian Gazette to the Boston Post carried the news. The San Diego Union\u2019s March 3, 1918 issue highlighted his local connections, stating, \u201cHubert Howe Bancroft formerly resided in San Diego. He owned much realty here\u2026The Bancroft property in this city includes the block bound by Fifth and A, Sixth and B streets and property on Fir, Elm, Fourth and Third streets.\u201d<\/p>\n
The San Francisco Examiner\u2019s March 3, 1918 issue detailed his accomplishments as a historian, quoting Professor Henry Morse Stephens, head of the University of California, Berkeley\u2019s history department, who said, \u201cBancroft was the greatest of a half dozen great American historians, and the only one who had an adequate understanding of the historical west. His greatest value was as a collector of writings concerning the Pacific Coast, for the Bancroft collection is the chief historical glory of the University, which owns it. His histories constitute a museum of information of Mexico, California, Nevada, Oregon and all the West, based on his study and knowledge of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n