Ella Sterling Mighels
1853–1934 (age 81)
Writer/Journalist
Biography
Elegant and tireless, Ella Sterling Mighels became known as California's first literary historian, compiling volumes that preserved the stories and personalities of the state's writers at a time when such documentation was uncommon. As a journalist, editor, and advocate for women in letters, she gave voice to the colorful diversity of the Pacific Coast and published essays, biographies, and travel sketches that delighted readers across the nation.
Her home became a salon for traveling authors and local talent alike, and she continued to celebrate the written word until her passing, leaving behind a rich legacy of advocacy for artistic expression, now remembered in the quiet of Mountain View Cemetery.