Original Site of Bancroft Library

You are standing at a site that played a vital role in preserving the history of the American West. From eighteen eighty-one until nineteen oh six, this location housed the personal library of Hubert Howe Bancroft, a bookseller who turned into an obsessive collector of regional history. His collection grew to include thousands of original manuscripts, rare maps, and firsthand accounts from the Spanish and Mexican eras of California, many of which he secured by interviewing people who had lived through those times. This massive archive eventually became the foundation for the prestigious research institution now located at the University of California, Berkeley.