"GEORGE KENYON FITCH (1802 - 1869) second son of Sanford Fitch, was born in Fredonia, Chatauqua County, New York, March 2, 1826 and spent his early years on his father's farm at Olmsted Ohio. His schooling during this period of his life comprised of about three months each winter and summer, in the District School. The Olmsted Library was a mine of wealth for young George, whose thought before he had reached the age of ten turned to books. A considerable part of his education was thus gained from the Olmsted Library, and he often said that up to the age of seventeen, he had read more books than he ever found time to read in all of the subsequent years of his busy life. the Library contained the Life of Benjamin Franklin , who became the ideal of the boy, who soon resolved to be a printer. With the consent of his parents he was taken on as an apprentice in the office of the Ohio Atlas of Elyria, where he served for eighteen months, finishing his apprenticeship in the office of the Daily Herald of Cleveland. in this office, under the guidance of the editor, Josiah Harris, he laid the foundation of his future career as a journalist. "
This is the book display an the North Olmsted branch of CCPL It is really beautiful display and mural. They have a handout with the list of books in it. This was an amazing collection of books to be in the wilds of Olmsted during the mid 1800's
After a couple of other moves and trips, including a trip across the Isthmus of Panama, he arrived in San Francisco California in 1849 at the age of twenty-three. That was the start of a very notable journalistic carrier. He built a very successful publishing carrier of 45 years before he retired.
" He was known as editor of the Bulletin in the columns of which he expressed himself on current topics for nearly thirty-five. In politics, his support was always thrown to the side of good government, and as he never compromised his independence by personally participating in party affairs, in the course of time his counsel came to exercise powerful influence upon the action of all political organizations. In San Francisco for many years no party could succeed if opposed by the Bulletin."
" Under Fitch's management, the Bulletin supported the Union and President Lincoln during the Rebellion, and on the eve of the war, was vigilant in discouraging any manifestation of Southern men favoring secession."
During these eventful years, two great monuments were erected to the fame of Mr. Fitch as a journalist. It was chiefly through the Bulletin's influence that one thousand acres of Pueblo lands were set apart for the preserve known as the Golden Gate Park, and to the same paper, may be given the principal credit for the defeat of what was known about 1859 - 1860 as the "Bulkhead Scheme." This was a proposition to grant by Legislative Charter, the control of the water front of San Francisco , to a private corporation." He founded or bought over ten news publications.
All of this started with his visits to our Ox Cart Library. It is amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it.
This Information comes from the Archives of the Olmsted Historical Society and the NOPL
More pictures of the display:
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