Bret Harte

1836-1902

Francis Bret Harte was born in Albany, New York, August 25, 1836. His father was a school teacher, but was often forced to move the family in his search for work. Consequently, Bret Harte’s own education was somewhat irregular. However, he did inherit a love of books and writing from his father and at age 11, had some poetry published. In 1854, some years after his father’s death, his mother remarried and moved the family to Oakland, California with her new husband.

Bret Harte explored the mining country of California making a living as a teacher, tutor, express messenger, printer, journalist, and he even joined a group of gold miners for a time. He continued writing and had many pieces published in the columns of the San Francisco paper, the Golden Era. In 1858 an opportunity arose to join the staff of the new weekly newspaper in Union, Humbolt County, the Northern Californian. Working his way up from printer’s devil, to reporter and assistant editor, Harte had an outlet for his writing in the pages of the paper. While entrusted with the publication of the Northern Californian in his editor’s absence, Harte witnessed the aftermath of the gruesome slaughter of some local Indian women and children. His accurate and graphic report of the incident in the newspaper caused an uproar in Union and necessitated his resignation and move to San Francisco.

In San Francisco, Harte took a job at the United States Mint, a post he held until 1870. While employed at the Mint, Harte continued his writing in his spare time, publishing a volume titled, Outcroppings of California Verse in 1866. This was followed with The Lost Galleon in 1867 and the Heathen Chinee in 1869. In 1868, Harte joined in partnership with Anton Roman to publish the Overland Monthly. As editor, Harte published his own works in the literary magazine. It was over the objections of some of the magazine’s staff that Harte published the story that would give him national fame, “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” Soon, his “witty and heart-rending tales” would earn him accolades such as, “new prophet of American letters.” Ambrose Bierce called his humor “incomparable.”

In 1871, Bret Harte moved to New York and later to Boston. His poetry and prose continued to gain wide popularity. Over the years he had associated with Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Charles Warren Stoddard, and Ina Coolbrith while living in San Francisco, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Russell Lowell, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow while living in Boston. In 1868, he won 10 thousand dollars from the James T. Fields Publishing Company for being the “most exciting young writer in America.” Also, from 1880 until his death over 20 years later, Harte published a new volume of fiction nearly every year.

In 1878 Bret Harte was appointed United States Consul at Crefeld, Germany, and in 1880, he was transferred to Glasgow, Scotland. He later took up residence in London and died in Camberely, England in 1902.