Charles Fletcher Lummis (1859–1928) was born in Lynn ,
Massachusetts . He attended Harvard College and began a career
as a newspaper editor in Chillicothe , Ohio . In 1884, Lummis
decided to walk across the continent to Los Angeles . During his
journey he developed an appreciation for the physical beauty of
the Southwest, and for its native cultures. Along the way, he
sent articles about his experiences to General Harrison Gray
Otis, publisher of the Los Angeles Times. When Lummis arrived in
Los Angeles , Otis hired him as the newspaper’s first City
Editor. “I have not the Art to Say Things Softly.“ – Charles
Fletcher Lummis Flamboyant and outspoken, Lummis later served as
City Librarian. But he is best known as a prolific author,
editor, and activist on behalf of historic preservation. His
magazine Land of Sunshine , extolled the wonders of Southern
California and had a major influence on the region’s early image
and appeal to tourists. He was a founder of the Landmarks Club,
an organization credited with be